50 Years Married To A Man Named Sissy

Death, Sex & Money

• Episode: 50 Years Married To A Man Named Sissy
• Website: Death, Sex & Money
• Feed URL: http://feeds.wnyc.org/deathsexmoney
• Duration: 00:32:30
• Published: 2019-09-11 18:00

Douglas, Wyoming, natives Vickie and Sissy Goodwin got married in 1968. It was around the time they started their lives together that Vickie learned of a secret Sissy had been harboring since childhood—a preference for feminine clothing and cross-dressing in private. When Sissy decided to start wearing skirts, dresses and frills in public a few years into their marriage, Vickie struggled to accept it. And the couple quickly learned that Sissy's self-acceptance came with an often violent public backlash, both at home in Douglas and elsewhere.

We visited Vickie and Sissy at their home, for a conversation about masculinity, resiliency and staying married for 50 years. 

Vickie and Sissy Goodwin at their home in Douglas, Wyoming

(Katie Bishop)

The World's Largest Jackalope in Douglas, Wyoming

(Flickr/Ken Mickles)