Transgender Narratives

In the last decade, public discussions of transgender issues have increased exponentially. However, with this increased visibility has come not just power, but regulation, both in favor of and against trans people. What was once regarded as an unusual or even unfortunate disorder has become an accepted articulation of gendered embodiment as well as a new site for political activism and political recognition. What happened in the last few decades to prompt such an extensive rethinking of our understanding of gendered embodiment? How did a stigmatized identity become so central to U.S. and European articulations of self? And how have people responded to the new definitions and understanding of sex and the gendered body? In Trans*, Jack Halberstam explores these recent shifts in the meaning of the gendered body and representation, and explores the possibilities of a nongendered, gender-optional, or gender-queer future.

Trans Kids is a trenchant ethnographic and interview-based study of the first generation of families affirming and facilitating gender nonconformity in children. Drawing from sociology, philosophy, psychology, and sexuality studies, sociologist Tey Meadow depicts the intricate social processes that shape gender acquisition. Where once atypical gender expression was considered a failure of gender, now it is a form of gender. Engaging and rigorously argued, Trans Kids underscores the centrality of ever more particular configurations of gender in both our physical and psychological lives, and the increasing embeddedness of personal identities in social institutions.

A personal and culture-driven exploration of the most pressing questions facing the transgender community today, from a leading activist, musician, and academic.

In Black on Both Sides, C. Riley Snorton identifies multiple intersections between blackness and transness from the mid-nineteenth century to present-day anti-black and anti-trans legislation and violence.

This is a sociological study of how the bodies of transgender people are situated rhetorically, and the social and political consequences of this.

In the spirit of Our Bodies, Ourselves, this is a guide to resources for transgender individuals and includes information on health, law, and history.

Traces the history of trans rights advocacy, focusing on the frames within which advocates have argued for greater protections. Although the focus is mainly on the US, there is also some coverage of trans rights abroad.

The viewpoints in this resource lay out the issues in a concise and informative way, offering measured arguments as to why trans Americans are a protected class, as well as arguments for why they don't need special treatment. Workplace discrimination, marriage equality, and adoption, as they relate to transgender identities, are also touched upon.

Award-winning writer and longtime LGBTQ activist Kathleen Archambeau tells the untold stories from diverse LGBT community voices around the corner or around the world.

Dedicated to trans women everywhere, this inspirational collection of letters written by successful trans women shares the lessons they learnt on their journeys to womanhood, celebrating their achievements and empowering the next generation to become who they truly are.

A three-volume survey of more than 400 years of lesbian and gay history and culture in the United States, presented through over 500 alphabetically arranged entries. Coverage includes people, public policy, economics, social issues, identities, and culture, among many others.

Entries are alphabetic, cross-referenced by theme, and feature prominent novelists, filmmakers, activists, playwrights, and themes, issues, historical events. Appendices list international glbt archives, the status of international sex laws by country, a list of international organizations.

Essays documenting the organization of masculinity, drawing on theoretical, psychological, sociological, anthropological, and historical frameworks. Large sections devoted to gay and lesbian studies and homoeroticism.

An excellent resource. Covers major feminist themes, authors, and literary works, but also analyzes textbooks, classroom syllabi, and seminars. Appendices include lists by genre, author, a timeline, an extensive bibliography, and filmography.