Learn Our History!

You know the saying about history repeating itself if you don’t learn it, well it is also true for our history. And there is a good place learn it… in the archives.

I went to the True Colors conference workshop once that was called LGBTQ History and it was all about LG history.

I went to a thesis dissertation on LGBTQ in the media and it was all about LG in the media.

I went to a Pride fiftieth anniversary in 2019 and they had all these posters of the leaders of the Stonewall and not one of them was trans.

They all used the same excuse… they couldn’t find any information about trans people. (Translated: they didn’t look and didn’t expect to be called out on it.)

These point out that if we do not know our history it will get lumped into “Gay” history and forgotten.

So where do we look to find our history?

A good place to begin is the Internet Archives.

A quick search of the book archives using “transgender” and we find two classics…

• Transgender warriors: making history from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman by Leslie Feinberg 
• Gender outlaw: on men, women, and the rest of us by Kate Bornstein

Digging a little deeper, the autobiography, and the biography...

• Man into woman: the first sex change, a portrait of Lili Elbe: the true and remarkable transformation of the painter Einar Wegener by Lili Elbe 

            "The true story of the miraculous transformation of the Danish painter, Einar Wegener (Andreas                Sparre)."

• Becoming a woman: a biography of Christine Jorgensen by Richard F Docter

But is is not just books but also news letters and magazines. The Twenty Club newsletters are archived here.

Transgender Tapestry which was a magazine published by International Foundation for Gender Education and they have the complete collection of the magazine.

In one edition they have an article by Shannon Miller on the HRC and another article by attorney Phyllis Randolph Frye. Another issue has a photo on the cover of a very young GLAD attorney Jennifer Levi. They have another issue that discusses the tragic death of Robert Eads (If you haven’t heard about him I strongly suggest you read the article.).

It also contains the entire University of Victoria Transgender Archives Collection!

Another great place to get out history is the Digital Transgender Archives.

They have…

• The AEGIS Publications collection from 1990 and 1998 of the American Educational Gender Informational Service,
• The photo collection of Alison Laing
• Christine Jorgensen Collection,

            This collection features materials related to Christine Jorgensen, the first person in the United                 States to become publicly known for receiving gender realignment surgery. The collection                     includes newspaper clippings, one video, and photographs created between the 1950s and the                 early 1980s. Including both press coverage and candid photographs, the collection depicts                     Jorgensen's public life as well as her personal life.

• Then there is the Chrysalis Quarterly was published by AEGIS, the Atlanta Educational Gender Information Service.
• There is this tantalizing collection, Dime Novels: A collection of 19th century books that sensationally portray figures who crossdressed for various purposes.

Some books that I use when I give my trans history workshops…

• Currah P. & Minter S., (2000). Transgender Equality A HANDBOOK FOR ACTIVISTS AND POLICYMAKERS.. NGLTF Policy Institute, Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/TransgenderEquality.pdf
• Ekins, R., & King, D. (2005, October). Virginia Prince: Transgender Pioneer. International Journal of Transgenderism, 8(4), 5-15. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from LGBT Life with Full Text database .
• Fienberg, L. (1993). Stone Butch Blues. Los Angeles, CA. Alyson Books.
• Feinberg, L. (1994). Transgender Warrior. Boston, MA. Beacon Press.
• Feinberg, L. (1998). 'I'm glad I was in the Stonewall riot'. Worker’s World. Retrieved August 1, 2009. From http://www.workers.org/ww/1998/sylvia0702.php
• Gan, J. (2007, Spring). Still at the back of the bus: Sylvia Rivera's struggle. Centro Journal, 19(1), 124-139. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from LGBT Life with Full Text database.
• Green J. (2004, January). Becoming a Visible Man. Nashville, TN. Vanderbilt University Press.
• D'Emilio, J., Turner, W., & Vaid, U.(2000) FACING DISCRIMINATION, ORGANIZING FOR FREEDOM:THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY. CREATING CHANGE: PUBLIC POLICY, AND CIVIL RIGHTS, Retrieved Sept. 24, 2009, from http://www.transgenderlegal.com/chpt22.htm 
• King, D., Ekins, R., (2000), Pioneers of Transgendering: The Life and Work of Virginia Prince, GENDYS 2k, The Sixth International Gender Dysphoria Conference, Manchester England. 
• MacKenzie, G. (1994). Transgender Nation. Bowling Green OH. Popular Press.
• Meyerowitz, J. (2002). How Sex Changed. Boston, MA. Harvard Press.
• Roberts, M., (2007, October 18). The 1965 Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit-In. TransGriot, Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2007/10/1965-deweys-lunch-counter-sit-it.html 
• Roberts, M., (2012, March). A Look at African-American Trans Trailblazers, Ebony. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.ebony.com/news-views/trans-trailblazers
• Stryker, S. (2008). Transgender History. Berkley CA. Seal Press.

Please learn our history so it will not be forgotten or become part of “Gay” history.