Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Selected readings on transvestism, transsexualism and related subjects.
Compiled by JoAnn Roberts & Dallas Denny.
Updated Dec 2000.
The bibliography presented is divided into two major categories: professional and popular publications. The professional category contains objective scientific research literature, whereas the popular category contains works of a more general nature, some of them very subjective. Because transsexuals and transvestites cross the line between gender roles, works discussing femininity and masculinity are also included. Not all of the works listed here present transvestism or transsexualism in a positive manner.
This bibliography is by no means complete and suggestions for additions are welcome. Please include all pertinent information about any addition you suggest.
Books from 1960s & earlier![]("../../dred.gif/){kind=small}
Books from the 1980s1960’s and earlier
Man Into Woman; An Authentic Record of A Change of Sex, N. Hoyer, New York, E.P. Dutton, 1933. The story of Dane Einar Wegener, recipient of the first recorded sexual reassignment surgery.
Roberta Cowell’s Story by Herself — Her Autobiography, 1954, William Heinemann LTD, Melbourne, Toronto, London . Biography of Cowell, WWII RAF fighter pilot, race car driver, and transsexual. Had surgery in ’51 or ’52, pre-Jorgensen, according to the book which was published post-Jorgensen.
The Transsexual Phenomenon, Harry Benjamin, New York, Julian Press, 1966. This book is not only considered the landmark work on transsexualism, but Benjamin’s distinction between transsexual and transvestite still stands today. Last reprinted in 1989 by the Outreach Institute and Renaissance.
Christine Jorgensen, A Personal Autobiography, Paul S. Eriksson, NY, 1967. The one who started it all, as far as the popular culture is concerned. Well done, though some information appears to be edited in recollection, based on her surgeon’s published accounts.
Transexualism & Sex Reassignment, Richard Green &John Money, (eds.). Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1968. This is the first in-depth account of the psychological and physical process of sex reassignment as performed at the Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. The book includes illustrations from surgeries undertaken in the 1960s.
1970’s
Understanding Crossdressing, Virginia Prince, California, Chevalier Press, 1971. A series of papers by Dr. Prince which discuss various aspects of male heterosexual crossdressing.
The Transvestite and His Wife, Virginia Prince, California, Chevalier Press, 1971. This book examines the relationships between heterosexual crossdressers and their spouses and is the foundation work for the Society for the Second Self (Tri Ess).
Canary, The Story of A Transsexual, by Canary Conn, Nash Books, 1974. Conn was an American musician/songwriter and an early guest of the Merv Griffith show.
Sexual Signatures: On Being a Man or a Woman, Money, J., &Tucker, P. (1975), Boston, Little, Brown &Co. It cannot be said better than the authors in the first chapter: “This book is a road map to show you where you are now as a man or a woman and how you got there.” There is considerable discussion of transsexualism and crossdressing.
Transvestites and Transsexuals: Mixed Views, Deborah Feinbloom, New York, Delacorte Press, 1976. Contains various chapters on the wide spectrum of gender dysphoria, including the transformation of “Phil” to “Helen.”
Emergence: A Transsexual Autobiography, Mario Martino, New York, Crown Publishers, 1977. The autobiographical account of a female-to-male transsexual, one of the few such accounts published.
Gender: An Ethnomethodological Approach, S. Kessler and W. McKenna (eds.), New York, John Wiley &Sons, 1978. In the opinion of one scholar this is one of the most intelligent, clinical and empathetic books on the subject. It includes a lengthy appendix which chronicles the two-year transformation of a male-to-female transsexual.
Mirror Image; The Odyssey of A Male-to-Female Transsexual, Nancy Hunt, New York, Holt, Rinehart Winston, 1978. A highly personal story about the journey from man to woman by a Chicago Tribune reporter and the story of her relationship with a woman who supported Hunt’s crossdressing but who could not accept Hunt’s growing urge to change his gender.
Dressing Up, A History of Transvestism and Drag. Peter Ackroyd, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1979. This is a well written and often entertaining work with very good historical references to famous and infamous crossdressers. It is somewhat flawed by the author’s acceptance of many misconceptions about transvestism and transsexualism.
Mother Camp: Female Impersonators In America, Esther Newton, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1979. An anthropologist’s view of the American subculture composed of female impersonators, both as entertainers and as a minority component of the gay community in the Midwestern United States.
1980’s
The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male, Janice G. Raymond, Boston, Beacon Press, 1980. Raymond attacks men in general and male-to-female transsexuals in particular in this challenging and infuriating manifesto. She sees transsexualism as a harsh dramatization of all the ills of sex role stereotyping in which men “rape women’s bodies by reducing the real female form to an artifact, appropriating this body for themselves.” Her most stinging venom is reserved for transsexual lesbian feminists who, Raymond sees as patriarchal imposters in the lesbian community.
Herculine Barbin, Introduced by Michael Foucault, New York, Pantheon Books, 1980. The memoirs of a 19th Century French hermaphrodite who was raised as a female and was ruled to be a male when in his 20s are presented along with excerpts of report from the the autopsy performed after his suicide. The book also includes “A Scandal at the Convent,” a fictional account of the Barbin story written some years after his death.
Boys Will Be Girls;The Hidden World of the Heterosexual Male Transvestite, John Talamini. University Press of America, Lanham, Md., 1982. A “unified field” theory of heterosexual male transvestism in which Talamini discusses the phenomenon in an historical, sociological, and psychological context.
Female-To-Male Transsexualism: Historical, Clinical and TheoreticalÊIssues by Lothstein, Leslie, 1983, Routledge & Kegan Paul, Boston. This was the first major psychological study of almost 60 female-to-male transsexuals, including case histories and biopsychological approach to understanding transgendered females.
Second Serve, Renee Richards (with John Ames), New York, Stein and Day, 1983, Perhaps the most famous transsexual after Christine Jorgensen tells her story including the numerous setbacks in her quest to become a woman. She also tells how she decided that she must end her strict privacy and become a public symbol for other transgendered people.
The Uninvited Dilemma, K. Stuart, Lake Oswego, N.Y., Metamorphous Press, (with a separate Research Supplement available from the publisher), 1983. This book is different from the autobiographies and clinical studies on transsexuality. It represents two years of research involving carefully structured, in-depth personal interviews with 75 transsexuals, consultations with members of the medical and mental health communities, and conversations with loved ones of transsexuals. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Men In Frocks, Kris Kirk and Ed Heath, London, GMP Publishers, 1984. An illustrated survey of the various modes of British crossdressing, ranging from Army camp shows during World War II to today’s rock musicians. Dozens of crossdressers are extensively quoted telling their own stories.
Femininity, Susan Brownmiller, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1984. An examination of what it means to be a woman and to be feminine, both in today’s culture and in days past. Chapters are divided into categories such as body hair, voice, etc. The implications of each aspect are thoroughly discussed. Includes profusely cited references.
A Finer Specimen of Womanhood; A Transsexual Speaks Out, Sharon Davis, New York, Vantage, 1985. As a black woman who was once a black man, Davis offers a very different transsexual experience. Unfortunately her time in prison is a far too frequent occurrence for many who must resort to crime in order to pay for their surgery.
Lovemaps, John Money, New York, Irvington Publishers, 1986. Dr. Money coined the term lovemaps to describe the mental template that is expressed in every individual’s sexuoerotic fantasies and practices. A large portion of the book deals with paraphilias and their concomitant, distorted lovemaps. Both transvestism and transsexualism are examined in relation to their respective lovemaps.
Transexualism &Sex Reassignment, William A.W. Walters &Michael W. Ross (eds.). Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1986. A general overview of transsexualism which the editors hope will achieve a better understanding “of this problem in society.” Chapters address personal feelings, causes of gender dysphoria, psychological issues, endocrine aspects, medical/surgical procedures and ethical and legal aspects.
Venuses Penuses, John Money, Buffalo, N.Y., Prometheus Books, 1986. A collection of selected reprints from the large body of work by Dr. Money. Also included is a complete bibliography of Dr. Money’s published work.
Conundrum, Jan Morris, New York, Henry Holt and Company, 1986 (second edition). A highly introspective survey of what it means to be a man and a woman in the 20th century, and why the author, a renowned writer, believes she failed in one role and succeeded in the other.
The Spirit and the Flesh: Sexual Diversity in American Indian Culture, Walter L. Williams, Boston, Beacon Press, 1986. Native Americans believed that men who crossdressed and performed in the role of women (often while fulfilling male roles) had special spiritual gifts.. The importance these men played in the Native American civilization is recorded here for the first time.
The Homosexual Matrix, C.A. Tripp, New York, Meridan, 1987 (second edition). Although primarily concerned with homosexuality, Tripp also explores the nature of femininity and effeminacy apart from sexual orientation.
Masculinity and Femininity: A Basic Prespective, June M. Reinisch, Leonard Rosenblum and Stephanie Sanders (eds.), New York, Oxford University Press, Kinsey Institute Series, 1987. This work looks at the meanings and implications of masculine and feminine behavior from seven distinct but interrelated perspectives: psychobiologic, neuroscientific, evo- lutionary, behavioral, developmental, psychological and cultural.
Sexual Landscapes; Why We Are What We Are, Why We Love Whom We Love, John Money &James D. Weinrich, New York, Scribner, 1987. The author’s particular area of interest in the field of sexology is gender transposition, or “the transposition of masculine and feminine in comparison with the typical pattern.” In this work he posits “a general theory of human sexuality and sexual arousal” and explains “other people’s theories.”
The Sissy Boy Syndrome, Richard Green, M.D., New Haven, Conn., Yale University Press, 1987. During what he thought would be an investigation into the origins of transsexualism, the author instead discovered that boyhood effeminacy is often a marker for later homo- sexuality. But the author does not claim that effeminacy leads to homosexuality. The case histories show that while the two phenomenon are related, they are not connected.
The Wolves of Heaven; Cheyenne Shamanism, Ceremonies and Prehistoric Origins, Karl H. Schleiser, Norman, Okla., University of Oklahoma Press, 1987. A thorough examination of the hemaneh (half-man, half-woman) of the Cheyenne tribe and their involvement in Cheyenne thought, religion, history and custom. Coming under particular scrutiny is the Massaum ceremony which was last performed in 1927.
Gay, Straight, and In-Between, Dr. John Money, 1988.
Transvestites And Transsexuals: Toward A Theory of Cross-Gender Behavior, Richard F. Docter, Plenum Press, New York, 1988. Richard Docter has created a milestone work that uncovers new territory concerning cross-gender behavior. He correctlyt identifies cross-gender behavior as a dynamic process rather than a static state. This book also contains important observations about pseudo- or secondary transseexualism. Docter continues his research toward a “gender” scale.
In Search of Eve: Transsexual Rites of Passage, Bolin, A. (1988), South Hadley, MA, Bergin &Garvey Publishers, Inc. Bolin’s book was long overdue and has unfortunately been underappreciated by clinicians. Her doctoral thesis, which grew into this book, was a study of a group of male-to-female transsexual persons in the midwest, whom she observed in a non-clinical setting. Her findings clearly show the bias and shortsightedness of much of the clinical literature, and some serious problems with a treatment paradigm in which transsexual persons mold themselves to sexist notions or perceived sexist notions of clinicians in order to obtain treatment.
Fantastic Women: Sex, Gender and Transvestism, Annie Woodhouse, 1989
Transformations: Crossdressers and Those Who Love Them, Mariette Pathy Allen, 1989.
Gender Blending: Confronting the Limits of Duality, Devor, H. (1989), Bloomington, Indiana University Press. Gender Blending is a psychological and sociological treatise on women who are or who have at some time in the past been frequently mistaken for men. Although several of the women had flirted with the notion of sex reassignment, none were seriously interested in actually becoming men.
My Husband Wears My Clothes, Rudd, P. (1989), Katy, TX, PM Publishers. The author explains her reaction to and adjustment to her husband’s crossdressing.Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
1990’s
From Female to Male, The Life of Jack Bee Garland, by Louis Sullivan, Alyson Pulbications, Inc. 1990. Garland, born a female, lived in San Francisco in the late 1880’s and died in the 1930’s.
Crossdressing with Dignity: The Case for Transcending Gender Lines, Rudd, P. (1990), Katy, TX, PM Publishers. Based on a survey of a large number of crossdressers, the author presents results in tabular form, as well as in discussion of the issues of human dignity. What is most clear and most impressive is that men, as they age, grow more comfortable with their crossdressing and less fearful of exposure. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
The Transsexual’s Survival Guide to Transition and Beyond, Stringer, J.A. (1990), King of Prussia, PA: Creative Design Services. Contains information about the author’s transition and general discussion of the obstacles and challenges in store for those contemplating male-to-female sex reassignment. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
From Masculine To Feminine and All Points In Between, Jennifer Anne Stevens, 1990. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
My Story, Cossey, C. (1991), Boston, Faber &Faber. Autobiography of Caroline Cossey, also known as “Tula,” the British fashion model whose transsexualism was brutally revealed in News of the World with the headline “Bond girl was a boy.” Cossey tells of her unsuccessful efforts to obtain the right to marry in the UK and her determination to continue her fight until she obtains that right.
Vested Interests: Crossdressing and Cultural Anxiety, Garber, M. (1991), New York, Routledge. An examination of the cultural signifcance of crossdressing. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
The Transvestites, Hirschfeld, M. (1991). (Michael A. Lombardi-Nash, translator). Buffalo, NY, Prometheus Books.This remarkable book, written in 1910, was translated only in 1991. Had it been available in English earlier, it would no doubt have had a big impact on American thinking about transvestism and transsexualism. Hirschfeld gives a number of case histories of men and a few women who crossdress. Some appear to indeed be transvestites, but others seem more likely to have been transsexual. The author examines crossdressing from a variety of angles. The translator did an excellent job.
Gender Dysphoria: Interdisciplinary Approaches in Clinical Management, Bockting, W., &Coleman, E. (Eds.), (1992), New York, Haworth Press. (Appears concurrently in Journal & Psychology of Human Sexuality, 1993, 5(4). ) This text provides up-to-date, cutting edge information on hormonal therapy, outcome, and other aspects of cross-gender identity.
Accounting for Transsexualism and Transhomosexuality, Brian Tully, Whiting & Birch Ltd (1992), London, ISBN 18-71177-04-9. The book is a case by case look at the ongoing lives of MtF and FtM transsexuals and their larger relation to society. It looks at people in a variety of stages and social classes and provides commentary from each of the subjects on different issues. The study was conducted in the United Kingdom. It also looks at the pitfalls and shortcomings of modern day psychoanalytical treatment of Gender Dysphoria and also the mistakes of the health care industry. An interesting aspect is also looking at the traps the patients fall into while going through the process. (Thanks to Alexandrea for this review.
Spirit and The Flesh, The: Sexual Diversity in American Indian Culture, Walter L. Williams, 1992.
The Transsexual’s Survival Guide II to Transition and Beyond for Family, Friends, and Employers, Stringer, J.A. (1993), King of Prussia, PA: Creative Design Services. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Cross-Dressing, Sex, and Gender, Bullough, V.L., & Bullough, B. (1993), Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press. This is a well-researched and footnoted work, the most complete on crossdressing since Hirschfeld’s Die Transvestiten, written in 1910. In the first half, the authors take a historical approach, examining both crossdressing and notions of gender through the ages. In the second half, they look at nineteen- and twentieth- century crossdressing phenomena, including transsexualism (but the major focus is on crossdressing). Several chapters explore the personality of heterosexual crossdressers, and one chapter examines the research on female partners of crossdressers. A very thorough and insightful work. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Gender Dysphoria: Interdisciplinary Approaches in Clinical Management, Walter Bockting and Eli Coleman, Haworth Press 1993. Enhance your expertise wit the most up-to-date information about gender identity disorders in Gender Dysphoria. This book stresses the need to evaluate and treat gender dysphoria in the context of the individual’s overall mental and physical health. The contributors, who are international experts in the clinical management of gender dysphoria, present valuable, contemporary approaches in assessment, psychological and medical treatment, and adjustment of individuals with gender identity disorders.
Lenses of Gender, The: Transforming the Debate of Sexual Inequality, Sandra Bem, 1993.
Gender Dysphoria: A Guide to Research, Denny, D. (1994), New York: Garland Publishing. Very comprehensive annotated bibliography which served as a sourcebook for this list.
Gender Outlaw, Kate Bornstein (1994), “Kate Bornstein celebrates the power of claiming an identity without getting mired in the tarpits of identity politics. A breath of fresh air, the best of both worlds, strong enough for a man, yet made for a woman,” so says Holly Hughes. If you wonder where your place is in the grand scheme of things, Kate may just help you find your way. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
DRAG: A History of Female Impersonation in the Performing Arts, Roger Baker, NY Univ. Press,1994. Men have been dressing as women on stage for hundreds of years, dating back to the thirteenth century when the church forbade the appearance of female actors but condoned that of men and boys disguised as the opposite sex. Forms of transvestism can be traced back to the dawn of the theater and are found in all corners of the world, notably in China and Japan.
Guy to Goddess: An Intimate Look at Drag Queens, Rosamond Norbury and Bill Richarson, 1994. Guy to Goddess is a photographic journey into the fascinating world of the drag queen. This is a book for the curious, and for those with a taste for drama and culture. The eloquent images of Rosaond Norbury and a riveting text by Bill Richardson take us behind the scenes, from dressmaking to face makeup, and into the spotlight for onstage performances, as witnesses of this miraculous metamorphosis.
My Husband Wears My Clothes, Peggy J. Rudd, 1994. This is the first book to be written by the wife of a crossdresser. Dr. Rudd addresses many of the questions frequently asked by the spouses, families, and friends of crossdressers and candidly explores the related emotions that range from frustration to elation. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Third Sex, Third Gender: Beyond Sexual Dimorphism in Culture and History, Gilbert Herdt (ed.), 1994. Most modern discussions of the relationship of biological sex to gender presuppose that there are two genders, male and female, founded on the two biological sexes. But not all cultures share this essentialist assumption and even Western societies have not always embraced it. In the wake of recent scholarship emphasizing the historical and social construction of gender roles, and the boundaries of sexual difference, the essays collected in this volume explore the different cultural definitions of a third sex or gender – a diverse and shifting category of people who have been at various times abhorred, celebrated, repressed, fully integrated into society or confined to its margins.
Transgender Nation, Gordene Olga Mackenzie, 1994.
Drag Diaries, Catherine Chermayeff, Jonathan David, and Nan Richardson, 1995. Drag Diaries pulls back the curtain on a campy, vivacious, underground society of high heels and attitude, complete with extravagant cross-dressing, glittering exposure, and fabulous costumes. Evoking a wholesome decadence that resembles Barnum and Bailey more than Sodom and Gomorrah, drag is everywhere today, creating a splash on the international fashion scene and exerting a major influence on designers, models, stylists, and photographers.
Crossdressers and Those Who Share Their Lives, Peggy Rudd, 1995. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, this book speaks volumes about crossdressers and those who share their lives.
Apartheid of Sex, The: A Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender, Martine Aliana Rothblatt, 1995.
Coping With Crossdressing, (3rd Edition) Roberts, J., (1995), King of Prussia, PA: Ceative Design Services. A balanced look at the issues confronting partners in a committed relationship. Roberts offers solid advice on negotiating and compromise so that both partners’ needs are met. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Monsieur d’Eon Is a Woman: A Tale of Political Intrigue and Sexual Masquerade, Gary Cates, (1995), Basic Books, A Division of Harper Collins, New York. This book clears away a lot of the mythology about the patron of all crossdressing, the Chevalier d’Eon. Cates contends that d’Eon was not a transvestite because he was ordered by Louis XV to live the remainder of his life as a woman. The classic tale of d’Eon posing as a female to spy on the Russian court of the Empress Elizabeth is a fiction concocted by d’Eon, says Cates. Whether you believe Cates or not, the book is extremely interesting.
Lettin It All Hang Out, RuPaul, (1995), Hyperion, “…part autobiography, part how-to manual, RuPaul comes out and comes clean with the full story of his remarkable rise… RuPaul Andre Charles talks about… his life growing up in a house full of women… an intelligent and colorful self-portrait by an incredibly and articulate soulful man…” Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
What Took You So Long: A Girls Journey to Manhood, Raymond Thompson with Kittey Sewell, 1995, Penguin Books, London. An excellent account of being a FTM who has a hard time, and ends up on the wrong side of the law, in prison.
A Self-Made Man: the Diary of a Man Born in a Woman’s Body, Paul Hewitt with Jane Warren, Headline Books, London, 1995. A diary account of the actual process of transition for an FtM.
Dear Sir or Madam, Mark Rees, Cassells, London, due December 1995. Rees was the first TS in the UK to go to the European Court of Human Rights. Also he is one of the founders of Press For Change the campaign and lobby group on behalf of TS/TG rights in the UK. He is a great campaigner on behalf of the cause with a very public profileand a leading figure in the UK FtM network.
Blending Genders: Social Aspects of Cross Dressing And Sex Changing, Ekins R and King D, due Dec 1995, Routledge, London and New York.
(Thanks to Stephen Wittle of the UK FtM Network for these last four book listings.)
Changing Sex. Transsexualism, Technology, and the Idea of Gender, Bernice L. Hausman, 1995, Duke University Press. I believe this book should be added to your list. It is well written and well documented (although it could use a proper bibliography.) More to the point, it is also extremely interesting and thought provoking. Although the book could and likely will be seen as taking a critical view of the “transsexual phenomenon,” it is certainly not “anti-trans,” as that term would commonly be understood. Ultimately, it is a fairly original take on the *idea* of gender, and the *history of* the idea of gender, and as such should be brought to the attention of those who think about such things — fools though they may be! The book is certain to annoy many T people — “Gender Outlaw” or “Tula, Volume II” it is not — but, well… that’s OK. (Thanks to Detourn for this review.)
Man Enough to be a Woman, Jayne Country and Rupert Smith, 1996.
Men In Dresses, Vernon Coleman, 1996. This European Medical School Journal Special Report On Transvestism/Crossdressing is based on questionnaires which were completed by 414 British males during July and August 1995 and on written communications from over 600 other British males during the same period.
Life with Vanessa: Straight Talk on Integrating TG into a Loving, Positive Relationship, Vanessa & Linda Kay, 1996. “It is our sincere hope that within these pages you will find something of value. Rest assured that you are not alone on this journey and that thousands of couples have been able to incorporate crossdressing into a loving and successful relationship” — Linda & Vanessa
COUNSELING IN GENDERLAND: A Guide for You and Your Transgendered Client by Niela Miller, veteran counselor and educator in the transgender community, has just been published by DIFFERENT PATH PRESS in Boston (July 1996). It is chock full of useful information, anecdotes, exercises and creative counseling approaches for any type of mental health professional plus those interested in transgender issues.It’s orientation is humanistic.
The Man In The Red Velvet Dress J. J. Allen, Birch Lane Press, New York, 1996. Allen’s view of crossdressing is both interesting and disconcerting. Some people will be upset by his broad sweeping definition. Yet, Allen does what many have avoided, confronted the links between crossdressing, eroticism and sexuality. This is a “must read” book. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism Mildred Brown and Chloe Rounsley, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1996. Brown and Rounsley have written a book that combines authoritative information with compassionate insight into the transsexual experience. Filled with wisdom and understanding, this ground breaking guide paints a vivid portrait of the myriad conflicts transsexuals face on a daily basis and the courage they must summon to reveal their true essence to themselves and others. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Feminizing Hormonal Therapy for the Transgendered, Sheila Kirk, MD, 1996. Completely rewritten new edition. Vital, accurate and up-to-date information on safe and effective hormonal therapy, realistic expectations, and possible complications. Now includes information on natural hormones, measurements and self-examination guide with answers to the most commonly asked questions. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Gender Shock: Exploding the Myths of Male and Female, Phyllis Burke, 1996. In Gender Shock, Phyllis Burke explores the many myths surrounding our rigid gender system of male and female. Analyzing the latest research in psychology, genetics, neurology, and sociology, Burke finds that gender is not the result of one’s biological sex, and that gender and sexuality are separate elements of the self. Looking through three lenses of gender identity – behavior, appearance, and science – Burke challenges the notion that men and women are from different planets. By revealing how there are more variations within each sex than there are between the two, Burke urges the embrace of a “gender independent culture,” one in which individuals develop their best traits traditionally associated with both sexes, e.g., strong and nurturing, rational and empathetic. An artful combination of investigative journalism, personal stories, and cultural criticism, Gender Shock liberates men and women alike from the prison of gender by envisioning a new and healthier understanding of our lives
Transgender Warriors, Leslie Feinberg, Beacon Press 1996. In this fascinating personal journey through history, Leslie Feinberg – one of the most prominent transgender rights activists today – unearths a vast body of evidence that throughout history there have always been people who defy cultural boundaries of sex and gender. During an embattled childhood and teenage years as a gender outlaw, Feinberg began a search for others struggling to assert an identity. What s/he found was a long tradition of individuals fighting back against injustice – from Joan of Arc to the Welsh peasants who cross-dressed to protest taxes, from the Black and Latina drag queens who led the Stonewall rebellion to transsexual parents fighting for custody today. Traditional society often exacted a terrible price from these transgender warriors, and Feinberg urges us now to receive them as hero/ines and visionaries.
Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits, Loren Cameron, 1996. Loren Cameron’s razor-sharp vision comples us to focus on the complex transition from which transsexual men emerge. Cameron’s photographs are as exquisite as they are meaningful — Leslie Feinberg, author Transgender Warriors.
Medical, Legal and Workplace Issues for the Transsexual, Sheila Kirk, MD and Martine Aliana Rothblatt, JD, 1996. “Our purpose in writing this book is to supply comprehensive and accurate information addressing the medical, legal and workplace issues encountered through every phase of the transition process. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Physician’s Guide to Transgendered Medicine, Sheila Kirk, M.D., 1996. Transgendered Medicine is a new discipline, but it embraces age-old principles and ideas along with innovative and unique treatment procedures. Dr. Kirk combines her many years of private practice in related fields and her direct association with worldwide experts in transgendered medical care and research to provide your physician with accurate methods for diagnosis and management of your health. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Trans-x-u-all: The Naked Difference, Tracie O’Keefe and Katrina Fox, 1996. This book covers the whole transsexual experience from start to finish, giving the facts comprehensively as never published before. Written by Tracie O’Keefe, a transsexual and Clinical Therapist at the London Medical Centre, Harley Street, and her lover, the gossip columnist/model/actress and linguist Katrina Fox.
Transsexuals: Candid Answers to Private Questions, Gerald Ramsey, Crossing Press 1996. “Dr. Ramsey has written a very comprehensive work, dealing with all aspects of the difficult path that transsexuals travel. It’s a must read for students and clinicians who work with transsexuals, and for anyone who reaches out to them: – Sheila Kirk, M.D. “Transsexuals provides a very important source of rehabilitative information for transsexuals and for those with whom they live, work, and socialize.: – John Money, Ph.D., Professor of Medical Psychology and Pediatrics Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University and Hospital
Confessions Of A Gender Defender by Randi Ettner, Ph.D., 1996. “Gender is the most misunderstood topic of our times.” Freud made a similar statement over 70 years ago and Dr. Ettner reminds us that it is still true. In spite of gender’s mysteries and voyeuristic possibilities, Dr. Ettner goes far in helping us to close the imposing empathy gap that inevitably exists between sex-gender congruent and incongruent persons. For that reason alone, this delightful book should be read in one sitting by anyone who comes into contact with transgendered persons – helping professionals, family members, friends, clergy, civil servants, and “significant others.”
How I Got Into Sex, Bullough, Bullough, Fithian, Hartman, & Klein, Prometheus Books 1997. Sex is the most basic human drive, and has been the subject of endless speculation. Yet those who have set out to study the wondrous diversity of sexuality have often been met with resistance and ridicule. If you’re interested in sex – and who isn’t? – here’s a book you have to read. “How I Got into Sex? is a fascinating collection of over forty individuals ranging in age from their mid-twenties to their mid-eighties, each of whom has a unique story to tell about the forces and influences that led to his or her interest in entering the sex field. Among the contributors are male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals, cross-dressers, openly gay men and lesbians, a sex toy manufacturer a married Catholic priest, a sex surrogate, and a musician-turned-sexologist.
Bert and Lori: The Autobiography of a Crossdresser, Robert J. Rowe, 1997. An intimate autobiography of a heterosexual male crossdresser, Bert & Lori is the true story of a successful and happily married college professor who leads an alternative life at home. Highly personal and frank regarding sexual issues. This is a story that others would dare not write. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Miss Vera’s Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls, Veronica Vera, 1997. “For every woman who burned her bra, there is a man ready to wear one,” says Veronica Vera, who founded Miss Vera’s Finishing School in 1992. With sparkling wit and tasteful decorum that would make Amy Vanderbilt proud, Miss Vera enlightens us on topics including body hair, body building, and creating a herstory, as well as walking in high heels and more. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Gender Blending, Vern Bullough and James Elias (eds.), 1997. Proceedings of the First International Congress on Sex & Gender.
Masculinizing Hormonal Therapy for the Transgendered, Sheila Kirk, MD, 1997.
Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism, Pat Califia, 1997. Pat Califia, a lesbian writer, examines the lives of transgender pioneers like Christine Jorgensen, Jan Morris, and Rene Richards; and contemporary transgender activists like Kate Bornstein, and Leslie Feinberg and gives us a meticulous analysis of trangender history and politics. Purchase your copy at the CDS Bookstand.
Transgender Care: Recommended Guidelines, Practical Information and Personal Accounts, Gianna E. Israel and Donald E. Tarvel II, M.D., 1997. By empowering clients to be well-informed medical consumers and by delivering care providers from the straitjacket of inadequate diagnostic standards and stereotypes, this book sets out to transform the nature of transgender care. In an accessible style, Gianna Israel and Donald Tarver discuss the key mental health issues, with much attention to the vexed relationship between professionals and clients.
PoMoSexuals: Challenging Assumptions About Gender & Sexuality Edited by Carol Queen and Lawrence Schimel, 1997. The glamour of transvestite fashion is the epitome of 90’s style, but the significance of crossdressing and sex-chaning go much deeper than simply fashion. Dr. Ekins details the innermost desires and the practices of males who present themselves as women. And he does it for a unique viewpoint, as a social process. This book has major import for the analysis of sex and gender.
My Gender Workbook, Kate Bornstein, 1998. From living without gender to thwarting the gender police, from uncoupling the sex/gender puzzle to finding out what you really think about yourself and other people, this is Kate Bornstein’s guide to exploring the big G.
