Episode 3 – Chevalier d’Eon
In This Episode
“The most extraordinary person of the age.”
This week on Dot Femme, hosts Danielle Gonzalez and Claire Michelle journey to Revolutionary-era France to unravel the fascinating—and often unbelievable—life of the Chevalier d’Eon, a French spy, diplomat, soldier, fencer… and gender-nonconforming icon.
From infiltrating the Russian court disguised as a lady-in-waiting, to drafting the peace treaty that ended the Seven Years’ War, to sparring in fencing tournaments as a woman in London—the Chevalier’s story blurs the line between myth and reality. We trace d’Eon’s complicated legacy: a political exile turned public curiosity, whose gender became the subject of betting pools and state negotiations.
We’ll also explore the broader cultural footprint left behind—how d’Eon’s defiance of gender norms inspired trans communities centuries later, from the Beaumont Society to the once-proposed term “Eonism” in early sexology.
🔗 Learn more about the Beaumont Society
beaumontsociety.org