Transvestia began in 1960 as a privately published journal created and edited by Virginia Prince. For nearly three decades it was a lifeline for people exploring cross-dressing and gender variance—publishing reader life-stories, letters, advice, poetry, photos, and practical information at a time when few other resources existed. The magazine ran on a bi-monthly schedule under Prince’s editorship until 1980 and continued under new stewardship until 1986, becoming one of the first widely distributed periodicals for the trans/cross-dressing community. More than erotica or gossip, Transvestia offered anonymity, connection, and community education long before the internet made those things possible—making it an essential, if complicated, chapter in transgender history.
