|
|
| |
The term
Transgender
was most probably coined by
Virginia
Charles Prince in the 1980s, but people we would now call
Transgender Activists began fighting against oppression and
discrimination more than a hundred years ago. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 Kate Bornstein
(b. 1948) is one of the best known transgender activists. In her
accessible and frequently humorous books and performances, Bornstein
challenges audiences to buck the gender system. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Patrick Califia
(b. 1954) is a gender outlaw whose books and articles have stimulated
controversy. Califia, who recently underwent sexual reassignment
surgery, is widely admired by those who treasure sexual freedom. |
|
| |
| |
|
 Cheryl Chase (b. 1956), founder of the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), has led efforts to educate both medical professionals and parents of intersexed children so that unnecessary surgeries may be avoided and intersexed people may have happier and healthier lives. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Roberta Close
(b. 1964), one of the world's most famous transsexual celebrities,
is a beautiful Brazilian model, actress, and television performer. When
officials refused to recognize her chosen gender, Close took her case
to Brazil's Supreme Court. |
|
|
|
| |
| |
Reed Erickson
(1917-1992) was an early transsexual who contributed a substantial
portion of his personal fortune to a variety of glbtq causes in the
1960s and 1970s. |
|
| |
| |
| |
 Leslie Feinberg
(b. 1949), an influential political organizer, grassroots historian,
and writer, is a pioneer of transgender activism and culture. |
|
| |
| |
| |
GenderPAC,
a national organization whose mission entails ending discrimination on
the basis of gender identification and stereotypes, was founded in 1996
by Riki Ann Wilchins. |
|
| |
| |
|
Genderqueer is a term for people who feel that their gender identities or gender expression do not correspond to the gender assigned to them at birth, but who do not want to transition to the "opposite" gender. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Intersexuals are people born with congenital anomalies of
sexual differentiation. The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA),
an activist and advocacy organization, was founded by Cheryl Chase in
1993. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 Christine Jorgensen
(1926-1989) was an actress, singer, and writer who underwent the
first surgical sex change to be highly publicized in the United States.
Jorgensen used her notoriety to educate the public about transsexuality and the differences between homosexuality, transvestism, and
transsexuality. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Renee Richards
(b. 1934), a transsexual tennis player, successfully sued the
United States Tennis Association when it barred her from competing in
the U.S. Women's Open. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Sylvia
Rivera (1951-2002), a legendary veteran of the
Stonewall Riots of 1969, spent most of her life at the
forefront of transgender and gay activism. |
|
| |
| |
| |
Brandon Teena
(1972-1993) was just twenty years old when he was murdered on
December 31, 1993 on account of his gender non-conformity. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Transgender Activism
began in the late nineteenth century. Ever since, transgendered people have advocated legal and social reforms that would
ameliorate the oppression they suffer. |
|
| |
 |
| |
Related Encyclopedia Entries |
|
| |
Autobiography, Transsexual
Hate
Crimes
Sissy Boy Syndrome
Transgender
Issues in Education
Transgender Issues in the Law
Transgender Issues in Sports
Transsexuality in Film
Transsexuals of Brazil
|
|
|
| |
Related Special
Features |
|
| |
Spotlight: Autobiography, Transgender and Transsexual
Interview: Kate Bornstein, 1998
Spotlight: Cross-Dressers, Female
Spotlight: Cross-Dressers, Male, Part 1
Spotlight: Cross-Dressers, Male, Part 2
Slides: Transsexuals of Brazil
|
|
