Books books books! Actually three questions, but as they cover similar ground I’m condensing them into one post. Panel bios here - please get ready to add to your reading list.
Are there any good histories of Trans peoples’ struggle for civil rights or any good social histories one can recommend? I’ve read ‘How Sex Changed’ by Joanne Meyerowitz, but I would love to read more.
Natacha: Susan Stryker has some good work on trans history.
Roz: Juliet Jacques is planning a book – wait for that. Otherwise, Susan Stryker’s various books and articles.
Naith: I haven’t read a vast amount of stuff trans issues yet, most of them are on my ever-increasing to-read pile. But I would always recommend ‘Whipping Girl’ by Julia Serano, it’s a classic and rightly so.
CN: Susan Stryker’s ‘Transgender History’, Leslie Feinberg’s ‘Transgender Warriors’ and ‘Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue’. They should be required reading for EVERYONE.
Which books would you most like to press into the hand of cis people for further reading on the issues? eg Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues? They can be as academic or as not as you like: theory, memoir, fiction, biography, poetry, whatever.
Roz: Modesty forbids…
CN: The Feinberg mentioned above and, because everyone ought to work on challenging their assumptions and selves (whilst giggling) Kate Bornstein’s ‘My Gender Workbook’ – it’s an absolute gem. Not an overview, or a collection of FAQs, but a call to look at the world in a different, and kinder way. If you’re a fan of Feinberg then ‘Drag King Dreams’ is fantastic.
I’m a trans person, but I’ve got question for the panel if that’s ok? I was talking with a friend the other day and we were wondering if anyone’s published anything about trans women’s involvement in the feminist movement. We thought it would be an interesting topic.
Natacha: Most trans women will probably recommend Whipping Girl by Julia Serano, but it often leaves cisgender people cold.
Roz: I am not aware of anything – good question though. And given that I used to work for feminist presses and helped to found a Feminist pressure group, I assume someone would have asked me to contribute…
CN: There’s a new book out called ‘Transfeminist Perspectives in and beyond Transgender and Gender Studies’ – it’s on my reading list for the trans book, but I haven’t started it yet. Again, I would recommend Susan Stryker
Filed under: books/comics, trans Tagged: Trans questions answered
