Some of these books can be found at
http://www.lavenderlibrary.org/
Studies and History
How Sex Changed A History of Transsexuality in the United States By Joanne Meyerowitz
From early twentieth-century sex experiments in Europe, to the saga of Christine Jorgensen, whose gender reassignment surgery made headlines in 1952, to todays growing transgender movement, Joanne Meyerowitz gives us the first serious history of transsexuality. Published in 2002.
Transgender History By Susan Stryker
Covering American transgender history from the mid-twentieth century to today, Transgender History takes a chronological approach to the subject of transgender history, with each chapter covering major movements, writings, and events. Chapters cover the transsexual and transvestite communities in the years following World War II; trans radicalism and social change, which spanned from 1966 with the publication of The Transsexual Phenomenon, and lasted through the early 1970s; the mid-70s to 1990-the era of identity politics and the changes witnessed in trans circles through these years; and the gender issues witnessed through the '90s and '00s.
Transgender Rights by Paisley Currah, Richard M. Juang & Shannon Price Minter
Transgender Rights is a must for any transperson, family member, or parent who is concerned with transgenders' legal rights. The book is separated into three sections: Law, which includes examination of recent and current laws and the application. History, which deals with gains achieved during this same period. Politics, which outlines the political actions taken or needed and their repercussions. All three parts contain a mix of what has been done, what could or should be done, and ideas on how to get from one to the other.
The Transgender Studies Reader by Susan Stryker & Stephen Whittle
The depth and breadth of the articles included in this compendium are astounding to say the least. In one large volume the authors have included samples of writings representing the theoretical to the practical and the lived experience in a time line from the 19th century through the present. The Reader gives a sense of our shared history from a wide variety of view points which affirms all of our lives.
Transgender Warriors Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman By Leslie Feinberg
Leslie Feinberg has been a leader in the transgender rights movement as long as such a movement has existed. This book is both deeply personal and widely researched. Feinberg examines perceptions of the body, the status of clothing, and the structures of societies that welcome or are threatened by gender variance. The portrait gallery that closes the book contains photographs and capsule biographies of contemporary transgender people.
Trans Liberation Beyond Pink or Blue By Leslie Feinberg
In this beautifully written and persuasive volume, trans activist Leslie Feinberg articulates a deep and compassionate vision of trans liberation that interconnects issues of trans oppression with issues of poverty, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and sexism.
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Biographies and Autobiographies
Alice in Genderland A Crossdresser Comes of Age By Richard J. Novic
Few know the transgender scene like GIRL TALK magazine's Alice Novic. This exciting new memoir by her male alter ego takes us along with him and the people he loves, as he encounters and explores each twist and turn around him and within him. As much Lewis and Clark as it is Lewis Carroll, Alice in Genderland blazes a new trail in the world of crossdressing.
Becoming a Woman A Biography of Christine Jorgensen By Richard F. Docter
The most famous transsexual before the term came into use, Christine Jorgensen caused a sensation in the 1950s when newspapers headlined her as the "Sex-Change Freak." She would now be treated very differently, and the hook in Docter's thought-provoking, smoothly written biography is its portrayal of troubled young George, who struggled to accept what he first thought was his homosexuality and, later, gender identity issues (another term then unknown). Pioneers, for that is what 26-year-old Jorgensen was, by definition descry no easy paths and must forge them. Nowadays, former NBA superstar Dennis Rodman can ride his motorcycle to a book signing while wearing a stunning wedding gown. A thoroughly understandable, believable retelling of a once-extraordinary story.
Branded T By Rosalyne Blumenstein
This is a true story about a teenage runaway, her contact with suicide, gender identity issues, drug addiction, and the sex industry. This is also the anecdote of how recovery opens the door to a healing process and alters the subjugators, one day at a time.
Christine Jorgensen A Personal Autobiography By Christine Jorgensen
Jorgensen made international headlines in 1952 as the first person to go public about having a gender reassignment surgery. Following the revelation, she became the poster child for transsexualism. Her 1967 autobiography is a straightforward account of growing up as a boy with much inner conflict. It goes on to cover the decision to have the surgery, the procedure itself, and her successful career as a Las Vegas entertainer.
Gender Outlaw On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us By Kate Bornstein
Bornstein considers herself a gender outlaw because she breaks the laws of nature. A former heterosexual male and now a lesbian woman, Bay Area Reporter writer, and actor who has appeared on talk shows, she has completed the transsexual process, including surgery. As she considers her workplace the theater, about a third of this autobiographical work is devoted to queer theater, including her play, Hidden: A Gender. The black-and-white photos were not seen but are apparently a significant part of this informative and humorous book.
Goddess Memoir of a Transsexual By Raquel Reyes
She became the iconic image of the perfect transsexual female. Raquel Reyes' charismatic presence, beauty and bold sensuality are the stuff of legend... but it's her life, the one she chose and ultimately survived, that fuels this rich and entertaining read. Written with great style by Raquel herself, it is a vivid recreation of a life filled with pain and pleasure, glamour and heartache, self destruction and redemption. From Tampa where she was born to the mansions of Miami Beach and Los Angeles where she played with actors, rock stars and porn queens, it is a tale of beauty gone wild and Raquel's desperate search for something, anything, that mattered. It's the truth behind the beauty and it isn't all pretty. But it's exactly how it happened.
He's My Daughter A Mother's Journey to Acceptance By Lynda Langley
A mother's story of losing a son and gaining a daughter - a transsexual transition and a mother's love.
I Am Not Myself These Days A Memoir By Josh Kilmer-purcell
By day, Josh drudges off to a Soho-based advertising firm where he creates ad campaigns for corporate clients. At night, he dons live goldfish to complete the look of Aqua, a 7-foot-tall award-winning drag queen who trolls gay clubs in search of her next drink/one night stand. In between, he spends his time trying to build a stable, loving relationship with someone whose beeping pager is a constant reminder of the pair's almost inevitable fate. Yet even as Josh's escapades get increasingly absurd, Kilmer-Purcell is always there to remind us that the story we're reading is real, and that fundamental human emotions and desires are essentially universal.
Mark 947 A life shaped by God, Gender and Force of Will By Calpernia Sarah Addams
Mark 947 chronicles one womans progress from spirit to flesh, a literal transubstantiation by force of will. Born a boy to loving but religious parents in the rural heartland of Tennessee, Calpernia Addams found her way on an unlighted path from forbidden dreams to fulfillment as a scholar, showgirl and eventually, as a woman.
My Husband Betty Love, Sex, and Life with a Crossdresser By Helen Boyd
Boyd never expected to write about transvestites and their partners, yet here is her fascinating account of marriage to a cross-dresser, the intent of which is to reduce the tumult his cross-dressing causes in the couple's lives and to help more women deal better with having transgender husbands. The originator of an online support group for such couples, Boyd supplements her own experiences with those of others to explore the diversity within a stereotyped group (the male-to-female transgender) and answer questions concerning their behavior. Boyd was supportive from the onset of her knowledge of "Betty," but even after two years' socializing within a supportive transgender community, the Boyds' first outing in the real world terrified her because of her own and society's expectations--and that was the first of a series of painful realizations. Boyd's skill as a writer enables readers to enter a relatively hidden existence easily, and perhaps even to appreciate its complexities. Her account, though initially disquieting to some, well may become a standard text in gender studies.
She's Not the Man I Married My Life with a Transgender Husband By Helen Boyd
I've been preparing myself to lose my husband for the past few years," observes Boyd in this humorous, self-deprecating follow-up to her first memoir, My Husband Betty. "There is another woman, in a sense. My husband is that other woman, or might become her." Delving deeply into the question of gender identity, she explores the role of gender and its impact on how and who we love. Part love story, part psychological treatise and part cautionary tale, this book will speak most directly to those who are confronting gender's perplexing contradictions.
She's Not There A Life in Two Genders By Jennifer Finney Boylan
Beautifully crafted, fearless, painfully honest, inspiring and extremely witty. Jennifer Finney Boylan is an exquisite writer with a fascinating story and this combination has resulted in one of the most remarkable, moving and unforgettable memoirs in recent history.
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Guides and Self Help
GenderQueer Voices From Beyond the Sexual Binary By Joan Nestle
Although a lot has been written about gender already, the editors--all acclaimed activists in their own right--go beyond the usual discussion of MTF and FTM. Instead, they talk about all kinds of people who fit outside gender norms, and argue that it is more complicated than we thought. If more people are included in this category, there is a better chance of fighting for acceptance. Gender equality is the latest battle in the quest for civil rights, and it's an interesting one.
Kids of Trans Resource Guide By Monica Canfield-Lenfest
I saw my first copy of this book at Sac Pride and loved what I was reading. It is written for children who have one or more transgender parent and it explains transgender terms in a simple to understand and accurate way. I recomend this book to anyone who wants to help thier children understand what transition is really about. You can get the PDF version here: www.colage.org/programs/trans
Miss Vera's Cross-Dress for Success A Resource Guide for Boys Who Want to Be Girls By Veronica Vera
Ten years ago in New York City, Miss Vera founded the only finishing school for "boys who want to be girls," and remains its stern headmistress. Much of her advice for the aspiring cross-dresser is old fashioned common sense flavored with street smarts: choose your tranny (transvestite, of course) name with some care; at minimum always have beard cover, false eyelashes, groomed eyebrows and a well-maintained wig on hand.
Transgender Care Recommended Guidelines, Practical Information, and Personal Accounts By Gianna E. Israel & Donald E. Tarver
The title tells pretty much what this groundbreaking anthology offers: a comprehensive distillation of personal experiences and professional wisdom. An outstanding reference work by specialists for transgenders.
The Transgender Child A Handbook for Families and Professionals By Stephanie Brill & Rachel Pepper
Gender Spectrum founder Stephanie Brill has written, with co-author Rachel Pepper, the first comprehensive guide for families raising gender variant and transgender children. With an extensive understanding of transgender children and youth, the authors cover gender variance from birth through college.
True Selves Understanding Transsexualism By Mildred L. Brown
Brown and Rounsley's solidly based introduction to many aspects of living as a transsexual provides general information about the dilemma of feeling trapped in the wrong physical gender, about such a person's development, and about locating a gender therapist. Brown and Rounsley also detail the process of transition between genders, starting with legal and identity changes and proceeding to changing outward modes of self-presentation (they include sample "coming-out" letters to employers, coworkers, friends, and family members) and dealing with bathroom issues, hormone treatments, surgical options, and guidelines for finding social support. First-person accounts from transsexuals augment general readability and put human faces on the issues discussed
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Art and Photography
Body Alchemy Transsexual Portraits By Loren Cameron
The idea of gender is no long as fixed as it once was: Tootsie, La Cage aux Folles, and Milton Berle saw to that. But none of this has prepared us for Loren Cameron's amazing portraits of transsexuals. Beautifully reproduced and complemented with notes and short essays, these portraits of women who are now men may startle, but they will also make you marvel at the genuine complexities of life, sex, and desire. Body Alchemy might have been a curiosity, like Diane Arbus's photographs of those outside the physical and cultural mainstream, but Cameron's art is so empathetic, so precise, that we are left in awe and with a new understanding of the realities of being human.
The Gender Frontier By Mariette Pathy Allen
Framed by the emerging transgender political movement, The Gender Frontier is one of the first book to include both female-to-males and male-to-females, as well as queer youth. One of her subjects, Robert Eads, a female-to-male who died of ovarian cancer, was also prominently featured in the award-winning film Southern Comfort
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Fiction
10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert, illustrations by Rex Ray
This simply, but elegantly written and beautifully illustrated children's book is about a child named Bailey. 10,000 Dresses is a classic "finding happiness in who you are" kind of tale. Bailey has dreams of creating wonderfully designed dresses, but is confronted with disapproval and disdain because "You're a boy." Bailey's sadness is overcome by an interest in helping Laura, who offers friendship and acceptance in return. The unique quality of Bailey's understanding of gender identification is a fine counterpoint to the universality of a protagonist experiencing a challenge and ultimately achieving success.
Boys Like Her Transfictions by Taste This & Ivan Coyote
Boys Like Her is an adrenaline-rush road movie of young queer life and gender transformation. First stop, the Canada-U.S. border, four young queers in a borrowed car pulled over, notebooks, make-up, clothes and violin flung out on the concrete. The car is checked for drugs, contraband, fruit--and declaired clean. The four in a borrowed car are smuggling dangerous goods. But what they're smuggling can't be sniffed out, pawed through, or seized. They're smuggling stories, poetry, scripts; words they've sold in performance on-stage. Felons, all of them, they've memorized their act and now are speedinbg away from the border, smiling, self-satisfied and definitely up to no good.
Trans-Sister Radio By Chris Bohjalian
This sympathetic novel about the effect of a sex change on a romantic relationship, a family, and a community could almost be sold as a textbooka kind of transgender Guide to the Perplexed. With its calming tone and scrupulous sensitivity to the feelings of all involved, it sometimes reads like a textbook, too. But while nobody is likely to launch a protest campaign over the cautious revelations of Trans-sister Radio, that's precisely the subject of Chris Bohjalian's seventh novel, in which a male college professor in a small Vermont town transforms himself into a woman. Even Dana Stevens's initial step in this directiondonning women's clothingelicits a powerful reaction from the community.
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If you know of any TG books, movies, or magazines I may have missed, e-mail them to: rhudson@sactgc.org
If you would like to write your own review, please include that in your e-mail. I would welcome any you wish to share.
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