The Fimbria controversies (Nova Roma)

Fl. Vedio M. Cassio cos. ‡ MMDCCLI a.u.c.

An individual with long-time gender identity questions, who had been known in Roman circles for over seven years as Lucius Marius Fimbria, became interested in Nova Roma. This individual, after some indecision (chiefly religious), applied for and was granted citizenship as "Lucia Maria Fimbria", as this person was a woman in appearance, and wanted to avoid any awkwardness in the event of a face-to-face meeting. This citizen otherwise functioned as a male, both within and without Nova Roma. All of this citizen's written contributions were as Lucius Marius Fimbria. This citizen was referred to by fellow-cives in the masculine.

Q. Maximo M. Minucio cos. ‡ MMDCCLIII a.u.c.

By his second year, Lucius Marius Fimbria had come to realise that he was in fact transgendered. He regarded his condition in Roman terms as his having been born with a genius rather than a iuno for a guiding spirit, and had come to feel that it was less important for his Roman name to be consistent with outward appearances than for it to be true to his soul. He requested that his registered Roman name be changed to reflect this more developed understanding of his being; he wished to reconcile his entry in the Album Civium with the rest of his Roman life and Nova Roman experience. Lucius Marius regarded this action as a simple request for correction of records.

Longtime ally, consularis and newly-elected censor L Cornelius Sulla Felix had expressed support for Marius' name-change before he took office. However, his colleague, Flavius Vedius Germanicus, resigned his own censorship shortly after Sulla'a accession. Now without a colleague and wishing to avoid the appearance of favoritism towards a friend, Lucius Cornelius felt the need to consult the Senate on the issue. This took at least some senatores by surprise, as the matter lay squarely within a censor's imperium, but they agreed to consider it.

The issue was not well-stated. Many senators were under the impression that Marius wanted to legally become his (male) chatroom persona, nothing more. It was thought that allowing him to do so could potentially foster the perception that Nova Roma was nothing more than an online role-playing game. This was a common concern at the time, as the Republic was young and still striving for respectability in the Roman world at large. Allowing a citizen to change official gender on little more than his or her say-so was seen as detrimental to this effort.

It was agreed to have Flavius Vedius, as the former senior censor, meet with Marius "live" in the Nova Roma chatroom in order to gain a better understanding of the reasons for his request, as well as to develop his own sense of the matter. Consularis Decius Iunius Palladius Invictus presided over the encounter. What followed was later described by Marius as "one of the more tactless, brutal and embarrassing 'outings' in the annals of the transgender condition" (personal correspondence, 18 Iun 2005). The conservative Germanicus expressed hostility to the whole idea of transgenderism. The debate soured into a discussion of Marius' physical configuration; and for the conservative wing from then on, this became the be-all and end-all of the entire issue. Former censor Germanicus' opinion, though not a formal ruling; though delivered only in chat; though never officially reported; though never printed out, written down, or archived anywhere in any form, was nevertheless regarded as Nova Roman legal precedent on the subject of transgender name switches.

L. Arminio Ti. Galerio cos. ‡ MMDCCLX a.u.c.

Censors M. Octavius Gracchus and C. Fabius Buteo Modianus issued the following edict:

Aldus Marius Peregrinus replied in a likewise reconciliatory manner. ^[2]

References

1. ↑ EDICTUM CENSORUM DE NOTA IN LUCIUM MARIUM
2. ↑ http://www.societasviaromana.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=10444