Career
His case belong to the most known and well documented legal cases of female transvestism and homosexuality during the early modern age in the Netherlands. Adriaens was at the age of thirteen placed in a house of correction for public drunkenness. After he was released, he tried to support himself as a domestic and a seamstress.
In 1627 or 1628, he adopted male clothing and presented as male under the name Willem Adriaens.
As such, he enlisted in the army. He avoided consummating the marriage by claiming to be sick.
He stated in court that he had never felt sexual attraction to males, and his land lady witnessed that he was known to have a taste for female prostitutes. Homosexuality was punishable by death, but this law was in fact not used for female homosexuality, as intercourse was defined by penetration, and it was therefore deemed necessary that a female have a clitoris big enough to penetrate a women with for it to be considered a sexual acting
Another criteria was that the women live together in a male and one female role.
The last criteria was fulfilled, and the prosecutor recommended the death penalty. However, the French Duchess de Bouillon, who was visiting the town at this point, took an interest in the case, and prevented a death sentence. Instead, he was banished for a period of 24 years: according to reports, he was escorted out of town by great crowds.
This time he was banished for life.
His later life is unknown.
