Transgender History (book)

Transgender History

Company type	Book
Industry	Publishing
Founded	2008
Founder	Susan Stryker
Products	Non-fiction book

Transgender History is a non-fiction work authored by professor Susan Stryker that delivers a succinct account of transgender individuals' experiences in the United States, spanning from the mid-1800s through the early 21st century. Initially released in 2008 by Seal Press, an updated edition was published in 2017.

Content

The text is structured into five distinct chapters, each focusing on a specific historical timeframe and incorporating "breakout sections" that clarify essential terminology.

An Introduction to Transgender Terms and Concepts

The opening chapter provides a foundational overview of gender identity, presenting Stryker's interpretations of key terms utilized throughout the book. It also engages with ongoing discussions surrounding transgender individuals. Critics emphasize Stryker’s expansive characterization of transgender people as those who diverge from the gender assigned at birth—individuals who transcend (trans-) culturally imposed gender boundaries—thereby allowing for an inclusive historical narrative encompassing a variety of identities.

A Hundred Years of Transgender History

The second chapter explores the period from the 1850s to the 1950s, highlighting how medical professionals classified transgender identities as pathological conditions, viewing deviations from gender norms as illnesses. Simultaneously, early transgender advocacy surfaced through emerging groups and organizations. During this era, the lines between sexuality and gender—especially between homosexuality and transgender identities—were often indistinct. Trailblazers such as Magnus Hirschfeld and collectives like the Cercle Hermaphroditos contributed to increased visibility by distinguishing gender identity. Later figures, including Virginia Prince, advanced public understanding of cross-dressing and its connections to gender issues.

Transgender Liberation

Chapter three chronicles grassroots activism among transgender communities and how confrontations with law enforcement and regulatory authorities ignited civil rights demonstrations and uprisings across the United States from the 1950s into the early 1970s. Notable incidents include the Stonewall riots, protests demanding equal treatment at Philadelphia’s Dewey's Coffee Shop, disturbances at Cooper's Donuts, and San Francisco’s Compton's Cafeteria riot—the earliest recorded large-scale transgender uprising in the nation.

The Difficult Decades

The fourth chapter investigates resistance faced by transgender activists within feminist and LGB circles during the 1970s and 1980s. This era involved efforts by transgender groups to have Gender Identity Disorder recognized in medical texts as a treatable diagnosis. The community unified around this goal, leading to the establishment of organizations exclusively for trans women that gained increased mainstream acknowledgment. Additionally, this chapter considers the repercussions of the AIDS epidemic on transgender populations, with particular attention to people of color.

The Current Wave

The final chapter addresses the rise in transgender visibility from the 1990s onward, advancements in medical interventions and healthcare services, along with growing acceptance of gender’s complexity and fluid nature.

Critical reception

Clare Tebbutt commended Transgender History in Women's History Review as a significant contribution to queer history in the United States, underscoring Stryker’s meticulous scholarship. Morgan Gwenwald from the American Library Association's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table described it as a thorough summary ideal for collections focused on gender studies, LGBTQ topics, or women's issues. Reese C. Kelly regarded it as an engaging primer accessible to a wide readership, noting its comprehensive contextual information despite brevity.

Carrie Schmidt writing for Archivaria found the book both well-documented and detailed while remaining approachable for those interested in feminism, gender studies, sexuality, and social justice themes. Tracie O'Keefe of Polare magazine appreciated its concise structure paired with academic depth but expressed regret over limited exploration of Native American transgender histories. Reviewer K. Gedge from Choice magazine strongly endorsed the volume for its wealth of resources—including profiles of activists, publications, organizations, films, and websites—that facilitate further scholarship into transgender history.