Lucy Hicks Anderson was a Black transgender woman who became a respected and well-connected socialite in her community of Oxnard, CA.

She opened a successful brothel following her second marriage in 1944. However, after a venereal disease was traced to her establishment, a compulsory examination of all the workers revealed Lucy’s truth, leading to her outing by a local doctor.

She was tried by the federal government for her “illegal” marriage. She was not only a pioneer for trans rights, but also for marriage equality.