I believe that knowing the history of our own people is a point of pride. We should know those that paved the way before us, have broken through the barriers of injustice and brought attention to the world about a social issue important to all of us. Knowing our own people is a way to help us know ourselves and develop a language by which we can share our stories. It helps us to find a common bond and it helps us differentiate ourselves from others. In short, knowing our history is knowing our story, knowing who we are as a people, and being proud of our heritage.
A good place to start is to read Susan Stryker’s book Transgender History. I have also published a recent history time line for the Dallas Voice on trans issues and you can find that here. Patrick Califia‘s Sex Changes is another wonderful resource. Another wonderful way to research transgender history is with the Google News Archive; with the archive you can find interesting older news articles on many of the figures given below. Remember though that the terms transsexual and transgender are modern terms and for old searches you may have to search on transvestite and phrases such as “man wearing women’s clothes” or “lived as a man, but was a woman”.
Some of the key players that have been influential that you may wish to learn more about are listed below. There is much to learn and much to be proud about. Enjoy the process of discovery!
Notable Transgender Individuals
- Calpernia Addams
- Gwen Araujo
- Liana and Juan Barbachano
- Thomas Beattie
- Holly Boswell
- Aleshia Brevard
- Albert Cashier
- Lynn Conway
- Angela Douglas
- Robert Eads
- Beth Elliot
- Dee Farmer
- Leslie Feinberg
- Jamison Green
- Paula Grossman
- Rita Hester
- Tyra Hunter
- Duanna Johnson
- Christine Jorgensen
- Anne Lawrence
- Mario Martino
- Jan Morris
- Peter Oiler
- Douglas Ousterhout
- Stu Rasmussen
- Renee Richards
- Sylvia Rivera
- Donna Rose
- RuPaul
- Diane Schroer
- Ethan St. Pierre
- Lou Sullivan
- Brandon Teena
- Billy Tipton
- Karen Ulane
- Erica Zander
Notable Cisgender Individuals
- Harry Benjamin
- Stanley Biber
- Helen Boyd
- Judith Butler
- Janice Raymond
- Gayle Rubin
- Lee Silver
- Kenneth Zucker
Notable Transgender Events
- Compton Inn
- Stonewall Riots
- Transgender Day of Remembrance
