I’m trans. (Hi.)
I didn’t identify that about myself until a few years ago. I always knew something was ‘off’ and in some ways, even as a child, I always knew I wasn’t a girl. At the time, I had constant wishful thinking about being a boy, even though I knew that wasn’t it either. (It was the only other gender I knew at the time, therefore I thought that if I wasn’t a girl that MUST mean I’m a boy.) When I fantasized about my life/future, I always held non-traditional roles; even at 10 years old I knew I didn’t want to get married, be a wife, fulfill expectations of a woman, or have kids. That was my understanding of it back then.
Now, in my late 30s, I’ve had access to the internet for two decades (+ some years). I’ve connected with people around the world and read their mostly-anonymous stories posted online. I’ve spent a lot of time invested in zine communities that promoted self-acceptance, mental health care, expanding your vocabulary to understand the world better, and finding good ‘use’ for your knowledge (activism, education, creativity, etc.). I’ve gotten to know myself and my body better. I’ve done extensive mental work understanding my relationship to the world and where I might ‘fit in.’
I know who I am. I’ve used my tools and resources to find myself. I know I am trans non-binary and I now understand all those half-processed feelings I had as a child/growing up. It all aligns and it all makes sense.
June 2021 was my first pride month out to myself using the vocabulary I finally understood to describe me, and June 2022 was my first pride month out to the world. I wanted to find some way to celebrate that, so I picked up Transgender History by Susan Stryker – educate to celebrate!
The book takes you through the journey of transgender history in the USA from the years following WWII through the early ’00s. It’s a very straight forward account of events as they occurred & the impacts on trans communities/social change throughout the century. Included are “asides” highlighting quotes, media, and experiences that played a key part in trans history, and post-book you’ll find a thoroughly comprehensive index of resources/further reading and glossary of terms.
It is a great starter pack whether you’re trans and learning about your history, or you don’t feel educated enough and want a good overview of how we got to where we are today. This is an opportunity to unlearn what pop culture taught you about trans-anything (transsexual, transgender, transvestite, etc.) and replace that with actual history. (This book made me sad there isn’t a similar one available for global history & impacts, but for now I have tons of notes to look into and expand my knowledge.)
While I walk away with a general/overall understanding of the evolution of trans issues in the USA, I don’t walk away with detailed knowledge of each scenario. This likely won’t appeal as much to people who already know the comprehensive timeline but want more information about the events.
In reading other reviews of the book, I saw that this appears to be one of the only transgender history books written by a transgender person. It was first published in 2008 but has since been revised/rewritten, so if you find this and it convinces you to read, make sure you get the updated version!
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