Fascinating Women Who Posed as Men to Do a ‘Man’s Job’

When women stepped out of traditional female roles, they often identified as men in order to get far in their endeavors. This cultural mentality is not a thing of the past, though. Women still live in a male-dominant society.

The following are only a fraction of the women who have had to do what was necessary when passionate about their goals…

Malinda Blalock

Malinda Blalock fought as Sammy Blalock during the American Civil War so that she wouldn’t be separated form her husband when he joined the army.

Her identity was never revealed and her army records are one of the only surviving documents of a female soldier during the war.

She was described by an army surgeon as “adept at learning” and capable of carrying out drills the same as any other soldier in the company.

Dorothy Lucille Tipton

Born Dorothy Tipton, Billy Tipton was an American jazz musician whose career began in 1933. Tipton initially identified as a man because the music industry was predominantly male but as time passed, he identified as a man throughout his personal life too.

Tipton adopted three sons with his female partner and it wasn’t until his death that the coroner revealed to the public that Tipton was born female.

Charlotte Brontë 

The 19th century English novelist used a male pen name to ensure her works of art like, “Jane Eyre” would get published.

The bold Brontë sister signed the name Currer Bell to hide her gender as she described women in the publishing industry as “liable to be looked on with prejudice.”

Emily Brontë 

Emily Brontë’s most famous work of literature, “Wuthering Heights” was described as “brutal” and “wicked” and therefore were associated with masculine writing styles.

She wrote under the nom de plume, Ellis Bell during a time when female writers were not only dismissed but insulted.