Before We Were Trans (Paperback)

Dr Kit Heyam

ISBN 10: 1541605403 / ISBN 13: 9781541605404

Published by Seal Press (CA), 2024

About this Item

Paperback. A "vital" (New York Times Book Review), groundbreaking global history of gender nonconformity Today's narratives about trans people tend to feature individuals with stable gender identities that fit neatly into the categories of male or female. Those stories, while important, fail to account for the complex realities of many trans people's lives. Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam chronicles expressions of trans experience that are often left out of the historical record. Drawing on their own experience of transition and gender nonbinarism, Heyam reveals that what constitutes a man, a woman, or gender itself has continually been defined, contested, and redefined. A groundbreaking, radically inclusive trans history, Before We Were Trans reflects the richness of modern trans reality more closely than any previously written--and looks to the past to uncover new horizons for possible trans futures. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781541605404

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Before We Were Trans (Paperback)
• Publisher: Seal Press (CA)
• Publication Date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1541605403
• ISBN 13: 9781541605404
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A “vital” (New York Times Book Review), groundbreaking global history of gender nonconformity

Today’s narratives about trans people tend to feature individuals with stable gender identities that fit neatly into the categories of male or female. Those stories, while important, fail to account for the complex realities of many trans people’s lives.

Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam chronicles expressions of trans experience that are often left out of the historical record. Drawing on their own experience of transition and gender nonbinarism, Heyam reveals that what constitutes a man, a woman, or gender itself has continually been defined, contested, and redefined.

A groundbreaking, radically inclusive trans history, Before We Were Trans reflects the richness of modern trans reality more closely than any previously written—and looks to the past to uncover new horizons for possible trans futures.

About the Author

Kit Heyam is a writer, academic, and activist specializing in queer history and heritage, as well as a trans awareness trainer. They live in Leeds, UK, with their partner Alex and their child.