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Posted in: Joan of Arc becomes non-binary icon in London play See in context

Historians have debunked the claims about history made by the playwright (in interviews) to try to justify casting Joan of Arc as "non-binary" in the play. Several eyewitnesses who were at Joan of Arc's trial said she told them she continued wearing soldier's clothing (the so-called "male clothing" that allegedly makes her "non-binary") in prison so she could keep it "firmly laced and tied together" to prevent her guards from pulling her clothing off when they tried to rape her, since this type of clothing allowed the trousers, hip-boots and tunic to be laced together into a single piece. In the end, she was maneuvered into a false "relapse" (to justify a conviction) when the guards took away her dress and forced her to put the soldier's clothing back on, according to the trial bailiff, Jehan Massieu. She therefore didn't choose to "die for men's clothing" as the playwright claims since she was forced into the situation. She consistently called herself "the maiden" ("la pucelle") and used this term to link herself to a prophecy that a "maiden from the borders of Lorraine" would save France, which would indicate she identified as the girl in the prophecy and hence identified as a girl (rather than as non-binary or gender-fluid) beyond any reasonable doubt. Medieval French had a gender-neutral form of this same term that she could have used instead if she had wanted to. She also didn't "transgress gender norms" since the medieval Church explicitly allowed an exemption for cross-dressing if it was done out of necessity, and she said her role in the army was carrying her banner rather than fighting or leading : she denied calling herself a commander (confirmed by Charles VII's military records), and she denied fighting (confirmed by eyewitness accounts). The play not only distorts history on all these points but also goes so far as to have her complaining about Twitter (!) in speeches given during events from her (15th century) life. The playwright explains this by saying that the play deliberately adds modern elements to the 15th century events, but this just adds to the bizarre, trite nature of the play.

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