Title: Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution
Author: Susan Stryker
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Year: 2017
236 pages plus further reading and resources
From the Back: The classic guide to American transgender history since the nineteenth century, Transgender History covers the major movements, writings, and events that shape today's gender revolution. Chapters cover terms and concepts, the history of medicalization, transgender community formation, trans radicalism and social change movements, the turf wars of identity politics, and the latest advances in civil rights.
Personal Thoughts: I believe that understanding the history of something is important to knowing about its present and future. For example, knowing the history behind the relationship between Canada and Indigenous People helps us to understand why the relationship is so broken today and why the future depends on reconciliatory acts by Canadians. In the same way, knowing the history of transgender people and its social movements helps people to understand why the relationship with the transgender community is so broken today. Transgender History is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to know more about the transgender community. Considering how transgender people today are being discriminated against, bullied, treated as less than human, and essentially erased from existence, I think that this is an important book for allies and for the rest of the queer community to pick up and read.
Stryker, in this book, has covered many topics from what it means to be transgender to social movements and everything in between. It is well written, easy to read, and has very engageable content. I implore you to get your hands on this book and give it a read. If we don't take time to learn history, then history is doomed to repeat.
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