Canada Post is being asked to recognize Nova Scotia veteran who performed in drag
A Halifax woman has submitted an application to Canada Post to have a Pugwash, N.S., veteran who entertained as a female impersonator during the First World War and Second World War commemorated on a stamp.
The veteran, Ross Hamilton, was known for his singing talents and for the female character he played, Marjorie.
According to Veterans Affairs Canada, Ross was quietly discharged for “reasons other than medical,” which it said was a reason the military gave for releasing service members in the LGBTQ community.
“I think that Ross deserves to be nationally recognized and that’s why I submitted his story for a [Canada Post] stamp” Mieke van Vulpen told Mainstreet Halifax on Friday.
Hamilton enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corp as an ambulance driver.
Queer historian and researcher Sarah Worthman told CBC in 2023 that Hamilton created Marjorie in April 1917 on the Road to Vimy Ridge. Marjorie was part of a concert troupe called the Dumbells and her dress was made out of tent canvas, beads from rosaries and feathers from pillows.
“In the Dumbells, yes, Ross was Marjorie and he always played that character for the troops and Marjorie was incredibly popular and, for many of those soldiers, Marjorie wasn’t just a character. Marjorie was a believable woman standing in front of them,” van Vulpen said.
Marjorie boosted troop morale
After the First World War, Hamilton performed as Marjorie on Broadway.
He enlisted for the Second World War to serve as a performer, but was outed to military officials after one of his shows and was dismissed, Worthman told CBC. He came back to Nova Scotia after that and died in 1965 at age 76.
Van Vulpen told Mainstreet she found out about Hamilton from her father’s family. They had settled just outside Pugwash in 1952, and Hamilton was a neighbour who became like a “surrogate uncle” to the family.
“He was incredibly kind and generous and friendly and just a really lovely person,” van Vulpen said. “Dad still remembers his big booming laugh.”
Van Vulpen said her father once had a chance to see Hamilton perform as Marjorie in Pugwash at the Gathering of the Clans in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Support needed for stamp
“So he was on stage, he was dressed as Marjorie, and Dad said it was a packed crowd and it was amazing,” van Vulpen said.
Van Vulpen believes Ross was wronged on a professional level and that he should be known on a national level for his achievements and remembered for being a good neighbour.
She has submitted an application to get the ball rolling on getting Hamilton on a stamp. Now she’s asking the public to support the nomination by sending a postcard or letter endorsing him for a Canadian stamp.
Role of female impersonators during war
“Many of us grew up knowing nothing about Ross and … he should be celebrated. He was fascinating,” she said.
Dan MacKay, an amateur historian in the Halifax queer community for the last 40 years, agrees Hamilton’s legacy should be commemorated.
“The role of female impersonators during war times hasn’t been well explored at all and maybe it’ll make people think about that a little because that was a long-time tradition,” MacKay said. “Perhaps for men who were gay or people who were trans, that role gave them an opportunity to live a more valid life than a life living entirely in the closet.”
Mainstreet NS12:11Veteran who performed in drag during both World Wars pitched for commemorative stamp
Ross Hamilton provided comfort and a blessed distraction to Canadian soldiers before some of the deadliest battles of World War One. But in World War Two, the Canadian military discharged him for being gay. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Mieke van Vulpen who would like to see Hamilton commemorated on a Canada Post stamp.
Two members of the Dumbells recall Hamilton’s unforgettable contribution to the troupe as a female character. Aired June 6, 1965 on CBC’s Camera Canada.
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