Today, we step back over a century to tell the story of a trans man who lived a life defined by secrecy, survival, and rigid societal boundaries. Born in Italy in 1875 and later making his way to Australia, Eugenia lived as Harry Leo Crawford, a transgender man navigating a world that had no language, no acceptance, and no space for the truth of his identity.

Their story is a complex one. In 1917, he was convicted of murdering his first wife, Annie Birkett. The case was sensationalized, his gender identity exploited for scandal, and public discourse was shaped not by justice, but by shock and misunderstanding. At a time when even the most basic public conversations about gender were unheard of, Harry and his wife Annie's lives were a painful testament to the cost of forced secrecy.

But as we examine his life and the events that defined it, we must ask ourselves, how much of this tragedy was shaped by the world around him? In a society where he could have lived openly, without fear, without persecution, would things have taken a different path? Would his life, and Annie’s, have reached a different ending?

In this 2 part episode, we reflect not just on the crime that dominated headlines, but on the human being behind it. The struggles, the resilience, and the unbearable weight of hiding in plain sight. Join us as we unravel the story of Eugene Falleni, not just as history has recorded it, but with the understanding that time has granted us.

My little Bandicoot friend!