Hour Magazine: Fontaine, Winters, and Luttrell

Director: Hour Magazine
Release Year: 1980

In 1980, Hour Magazine, a syndicated talk show hosted by Gary Collins, aired a groundbreaking episode featuring three transgender women - Heather Fontaine, Amanda Winters, and Shaleigh Luttrell - who were performers at a Los Angeles nightclub called the Queen Mary. The discussion focused on the women’s experiences as transgender individuals and their participation in the art of female impersonation. The show provided a platform to explore gender identity, societal perceptions, and the personal challenges faced by transgender women in the late 20th century. This episode is noteworthy not only for its candidness but also for its early treatment of transgender issues in a public setting. While the conversation was informative for many viewers, it also reflects the limited understanding of transgender identity and issues during that period.

 

The episode begins with Gary Collins introducing his guests - three "female impersonators" who are biologically male but live and perform as women. Collins’ language reflects the common terminology of the time, which often referred to transgender individuals as "male impersonators" or "transvestites," terms that do not fully align with the modern understanding of transgender identity. The women, however, identify as transsexuals, a term that referred to those who felt they were born into the wrong body and desired to transition to the opposite gender. The conversation navigated the confusion surrounding these labels and the evolving language of gender identity.

 

The three women shared their personal stories about the earliest awareness of their gender identities. For all three, the recognition of their true selves came at a very young age. Shaleigh Luttrell remarked that she had known "as long as I can remember" and never felt like a male. Similarly, both Heather Fontaine and Amanda Winters expressed a lifelong desire to be women. Fontaine, in particular, described growing up in a small, conservative town in Alabama, where her feminine traits caused friction with her family and peers, but she never wavered in her desire to live authentically. 

 

The conversation explored the complexity of identity, with Gary Collins asking the women about their feelings toward the terms "transsexual" and "transvestite." Collins noted that being a transsexual typically meant feeling trapped in the wrong body and desiring a physical transition. All three women identified as transsexuals, though at the time the term was still gaining wider understanding and acceptance in society. They discussed how they had always felt feminine, despite being assigned male at birth. While transsexuality was the dominant term used at the time, it was clear that the conversation was about far more than labels. It was about the women’s desires to live as women, irrespective of biological sex. Amanda Winters, in particular, dismissed the notion of a difficult "adjustment" to womanhood, emphasizing that her transition wasn’t a dramatic shift but rather a natural evolution of her true self. 

 

The show also delved into the physical aspects of the women’s transitions, focusing on hormone therapy and surgery. Hormone treatments, including estrogen, had a significant impact on their bodies, although none of the women had undergone full sex-reassignment surgery at the time of the interview. Collins asked about their breasts, specifically whether they were natural or implanted. Amanda Winters explained that hers were a combination of hormones and sedatives, while Luttrell revealed she did not have implants, as she had no desire to be "busty." The discussion also included practical aspects of performing as female impersonators. When asked about how they managed their genitalia in performances, Luttrell explained that tight-fitting underwear was used to flatten and hide the male anatomy, making them appear more feminine in their costumes. 

 

One of the more personal areas of discussion revolved around the women’s relationships and dating lives. Collins asked if they dated men and whether their partners knew about their transgender status. The women confirmed that they dated straight men but rarely disclosed their transgender status unless things became serious. Luttrell noted that in the 1980s, there was greater openness towards transgender individuals than in previous decades, and many men were not fazed by the revelation. This assertion challenged the common stereotype of transgender individuals being ostracized and rejected in relationships. However, it also highlighted the ongoing tension and complexities in dating while living as transgender women. Heather Fontaine shared that while men might not always care about her being transgender, curiosity about her identity was often piqued once the subject was brought up. The women all agreed that most men, once they knew, accepted them for who they were. 

 

As the interview continued, Gary Collins asked if any of the women were considering sex-reassignment surgery. At the time, this was still a major life decision, as the surgery was irreversible and had significant social, physical, and emotional implications. All three women expressed that they were thinking about the procedure but were waiting for the "right time" to pursue it. Luttrell, in particular, noted that the decision to undergo surgery required being emotionally and mentally prepared, as there was no going back once it was done. Fontaine added that she would wait until she felt ready and felt that the surgery should not be rushed. 

 

The conversation also touched on how their families and society at large viewed them. When asked if her family accepted her as a woman, Heather Fontaine responded affirmatively, indicating that her family had come to terms with her identity over time. However, the process of familial acceptance in the 1980s was often fraught with difficulty, and not all transgender individuals had the support that Fontaine enjoyed. Collins emphasized that the purpose of the show was not to pass moral judgment on the women’s lifestyles but to provide an educational and insightful look into a world that was not well understood by mainstream society. At that time, transgender individuals were often marginalized or misunderstood, and the episode provided an important opportunity to shed light on their experiences. 

 

The 1980 Hour Magazine episode is a historical moment in the representation of transgender individuals on television. It provided an opportunity for the broader public to engage with the experiences of transgender women in a way that was unprecedented at the time. The language used and the topics discussed may seem dated by today’s standards, but the episode opened doors for greater visibility and conversation about gender identity. The women - Heather Fontaine, Amanda Winters, and Shaleigh Luttrell - were pioneers in the fight for transgender rights and visibility. Their candidness and willingness to share their stories helped pave the way for future discussions about transgender issues in media, ultimately contributing to the evolving understanding of gender identity in American culture.

 

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Image credits: YouTube