Before We Were Trans

Thank you to Netgalley, Basic Books and Seal Press and Dr Kit Heyam for allowing me to read the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Before We Were Trans serves as an introduction to the often untold rich history of gender. It spans a wide range of cultures telling the stories of various figures who had a transgressive approach to gender. It explores how the lives of these gender non-conforming people, along with the actions of reactions of wider society have contributed to modern society’s understanding of gender and sexuality.

This is clearly a very well researched and thoughtful book, and whilst it’s academic in tone, it is engaging and still feels accessible enough for anyone looking to learn more about how people have historically navigated gender. It is refreshingly written through a positive trans lens and is imbued with all the sensitivity and dignity you would hope for.

Before We Were Trans is (sadly, but not unexpectedly) not always easy reading. It doesn’t shy away from highlighting the tragic reality of how society has treated trans and gender non-conforming people. I found the chapters exposing the barbaric treatment of Indigenous and Two-spirit populations deeply impactful. However, the author writes these sections (like the rest of the book) with a such high level of respect and compassion that it doesn’t just feel like bleak cautionary portrayal but instead feels like an acknowledgement of an important truth whilst still giving space to celebrate these historic people’s courage and defiance.

There’s a lot to enjoy about this book, it’s full of interesting stories about specific people and communities from a spectrum of cultures and time periods, many of which I’d never heard or read about before. I found myself highlighting a lot of passages that I wanted to remind myself of later or to talk about with friends. As this book is fairly broad so I also appreciated the author’s choice of citations from various other modern trans books - I think it would make particularly good companion to Shon Faye’s ‘The Transgender Issue’ for people starting to read about Trans identities. Whilst Before We Were Trans might initially appeal to readers already interested in gender studies (myself included) this feels like an important read for everyone and would make an excellent addition to any readers collection.

This was very well-explored, the essays within containing information that was intriguing as well as insightful, even though it is presented as academic writing, which can sometimes be imposing for ordinary readers to consume. Even within the introduction, I felt like I was being made to think critically about gender and non-traditional notions of gender, as well as who determines what "traditional notions" of gender even are.

In some ways, I wish I'd read this book before I'd submitted my recent assignments for my degree, and I would certainly find it useful to discuss it in my future academic endeavours! Unlike so many other academic scholarly writing on trans and gender discourse, a lot of the writing here is positive and considers the perspective of different communities, even as the author is very careful not to overstep their bounds despite not belonging to certain marginalised communities, which I thought showed deep respect. It is so important in this day and age for representation and light to be shined on marginalised communities, while trying to be as objectionable and unbiased as possible. For it is impossible to exclude their contributions and understanding of gender, especially when western precepts of gender are so centred around whiteness.

Before We Were Trans is a deeply thought-provoking read and would certainly appeal to other readers who enjoy gender studies, queer theory, and anyone else seeking to understand trans and non-binaristic identities.

Written by a non-binary historian, before we were trans is an expansive history of gender expression - looking at ambiguous traditions or individuals through a trans lense. Exploring how people expressed their gender identity before there was a word for it, ranging from theatre groups to significant individuals.

This was educative, eye opening and beyond interesting. They balanced the facts, analysis and storytelling so well - for a non-fiction, academic book I could not put this down. This is educative in every sense of the word - I presume / hope all readers are at least allies to the trans community; but this book provides so much more knowledge - highlighting issues of intersectionalism (how white, upper class people have traditionally had it easier) as well as differentiating between trans & intersex.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Huge thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for granting me a digital advance copy of this book.

Dr Kit Heyam has crafted a beautiful book that honours the history of every person ever to exist outside the Western contemporary gender binary that we now know, whether their existence was considered “queer” (or equivalent) within the cultural context in which they lived.

Dr Heyam’s book reflects the long, complex and beautiful history of “non-binary” (in quotes as there was not always a binary for these people to be outside of in the first place) gendered experiences in non-Western cultures. They discuss the way that these experiences were flattened by colonialism, and they draw attention to the way in which White trans people today often appropriate the non-binary identities of people of colour (particularly Indigenous people) as proof of our own existence, without working towards the recognition of these people’s rights.

Similarly, they discuss how endosex (non-intersex) trans people often do the same to intersex people, using them as a “gotcha” that not only disrespects the people in question but also undermines trans rights. They also talk about how trans people such as Roberta Cowell have historically claimed to be intersex in order to access gender-confirming treatments, without considering that this perpetuates the practice of surgically altering intersex people’s genitals to make them fit an endosex ideal.

The mention that Dr Heyam makes of Michael Dillon, the first trans man to receive phalloplasty — and an alumna of TCD — was lovely. It was particularly nice to see Dr Dillon mentioned in the context of the orchiectomy he performed on the aforementioned Ms Cowell (allowing her to claim that she was intersex).

<i>Before We Were Trans</i> is beautiful, affirming, well-researched, and thoroughly interesting.