Wendy The Druid

Wendy The Druid

Share this post

Wendy The Druid
Wendy The Druid
Queer History Class 100: The Public Universal Friend
The Queer Path

Queer History Class 100: The Public Universal Friend

When America was barely born, this non-binary preacher was already burning down society's boxes

WendyπŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈπŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆπŸŒˆ's avatar
WendyπŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈπŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆπŸŒˆ
May 05, 2025
βˆ™ Paid
20

Share this post

Wendy The Druid
Wendy The Druid
Queer History Class 100: The Public Universal Friend
6
8
Share

Hey there, identity warriors and history nerds. Ever feel like the world's obsession with gender is a modern thing? Think again. While we're out here fighting cultural battles in 2025, there was someone in powdered-wig America who already had the damn courage to say "neither male nor female" when George Washington was still kicking around.

Public Universal Friend - Providence Public Library

Let's talk about the Public Universal Friend – a non-binary Quaker preacher who, in the 1700s, told society to shove its gender expectations right up its colonial ass. After surviving a deadly fever in 1776 (talk about a revolutionary year), they claimed to have died and been reborn as neither man nor woman, but as a "vessel to serve God." And holy shit, did that cause a stir in a time when women couldn't even vote.

Wendy The Druid is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This isn't some obscure footnote – this was an influential spiritual leader who built a whole-ass reli…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Wendy The Druid to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Β© 2025 Thistle and Moss LLC
Publisher Privacy βˆ™ Publisher Terms
Substack
Privacy βˆ™ Terms βˆ™ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share