Transgender Australia: A History Since 1910

by Noah Riseman

Trans and gender diverse people have always been present in Australian life, whether they've lived quiet lives in the country, performed in cabaret shows, worked on the streets or run for parliament. But over the last century there have been remarkable changes in how they have identified and expressed themselves. Transgender Australia is the first book to chart the changing social, medical, legal and lived experiences of trans and gender diverse people in Australia since 1910. Drawing on over a hundred oral history interviews and previously unexamined documents and media reports, it highlights how trans people have tried to live authentically while navigating a society that often treated them like outcasts. It is the first book to chart the history of gender diverse Australians, exploring both progress and ongoing battles. It is also a celebration of ways that transgender participation has enriched our lives in all its cultural diversity.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, LGBT, Queer, Gender and Sexuality

368 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. ‘Transgender Australia’ by Noah Riseman is a wonderful contribution to the pretty small and often overlooked field of trans history in Australia, and so this book expertly fills a significant void in the literature by offering a comprehensive exploration of the lived experiences of trans and gender-diverse people spanning a century.

Riseman’s use of oral history interviews and the examination of previously unexamined documents and media reports not only provides a platform fr the personal narratives of trans individuals but also offers insight into the broader societal, medical, and legal contexts that have shaped their lives. I feel like this choice in approach really beautifully humanises the history of trans people in Australia, emphasising their resilience and courage in navigating a society that often marginalises and stigmatises us.

One crucial aspect of trans history Riseman explored was the trans sex industry in Sydney and similar trades in other major cities, highlighting the profound importance of sex workers in the broader narrative of trans history, shedding light on both the remarkable solidarity exhibited among these workers and the discrimination and hardships they faced that often pushed them into the trade. Riseman offers up a multifaceted perspective, recognising the complex and interconnected lives of trans people, most often trans women of colour, who engaged in sex work. Through thorough research and sensitive storytelling, he portrays the support networks that emerged within this community, showcasing the care, resilience, and mutual aid that defined their experiences. Likewise, the camaraderie and solidarity displayed among these individuals become a testament to the strength of community bonds forged in the face of adversity.

However, Riseman also doesn’t shy away frm acknowledging the harsh realities that led many trans people into the sex industry in the first place. Discrimination, societal rejection, limited economic opportunities, and a lack of legal protections forced some into this line of work as a means of survival. In doing so, Riseman underscores the intersection of gender identity, economic vulnerability, and systemic prejudice that marginalised trans people faced, and still face today. I love that Riseman took the time to acknowledge and respect the experiences of sex workers, and reminds us that the stories of trans people who engaged in sex work are integral to the larger narrative of resilience, survival, and the fight fr dignity and equality within the trans community.

I also want to say that I truly appreciated Riseman’s commitment to not profiting frm these histories and donating any profits to trans charities and support orgs. This reflects a really genuine dedication to amplifying the voices and experiences of trans people, prioritising our stories and wellbeing above all else.

‘Transgender Australia’ stands as an essential resource fr anyone seeking a deeper understanding of trans experiences in Australia, as well as the ongoing struggles and achievements and solidarity in our communities. Ultimately, this book serves as a testament to the importance of recognising and preserving the histories of marginalised groups, ensuring that their stories are heard and learned frm by all. Books such as these reinforce the vital notion that no one should be left behind, making it a must-read fr those interested in the broader tapestry of human experience and the pursuit of a better world.

[p · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written really accessibly, and super readable, especially for a historical non-fiction work. The oral histories are particularly engaging. However, the book often reads as an endless, quite dispassionate list of organisations that have come and gone over the years, and their dates of operation. I also felt as though trans (and queer) engagements with the law was a huge focus of the book - but why this focus is taken (for example, a commitment to a liberal legal understanding of social change - perhaps ..... ) is never fully explained. One interviewee is noted as having been a trans person at the first Sydney Mardi Gras in March, 1978. However, this is a presented as a mere footnote, and immediately swept aside. There is little to no attempt to follow that thread and uncover trans people's involvement in more radical politics, and those who did not opt for working within parliamentary, legal or NGO spaces. Perhaps I have no real right to be annoyed, but the publisher also presented this as the 'first' attempt to do a dedicated undertaking of contemporary trans history in Australia, which I felt was quite an embellishment, considering the book could not exist without drawing on Roberta Perkins a bunch (who was, by the way, trans, and was doing trans community history a long time before cis people cared). The oral histories will probably end up at the Queer Archives and hey, that's something. It's well put together and researched.

[Penny Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a detailed and comprehensive contribution to our understanding of the trans community as it has developed over the past 110 years in Australia. Noah Riseman has shown extraordinary dedication in bringing coherence to the material gleaned particularly from over 100 personal interviews with members of the gender-diverse community. His decision that all profits of the book go to trans organisations reflects his integrity and determination that these stories be told with truth and not for personal profit.

It is highly readable - a credit to the author’s lightness of touch- but nevertheless dense. It includes an immense amount of valuable information and its footnotes and bibliography provide wonderful starting points for those wishing to build on this foundational work. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand better the obstacles that gender diverse people continue to face and to be inspired to continue the journey to full recognition and celebration.

[Juno Babić · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learnt a lot but it is quite dense. I loved the long chapter about QTIBPOC expressions of gender, but the majority of the book discussing political progress and the forming of organisations was a bit of a slog.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

YES this is particularly in later chapters a list of names and organisations and their dates of operation however YES that is valuable gossip to me and I ate it all up. Noah I hope u sell enough of this book to get it reissued with a better cover...

[Bbearbeez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scrumptious book, it was super informative and affirming to read about these gender and trans histories. Really comprehensive in exploring different organisations and major players in different states. Largely focused on politics and legalities, and it would have been nice to talk more about the people/individuals (interview style sections would have been so good !!) as it felt like a lot of testimonies were plonked in there for supporting an argument, but was removed from the person's life context. It would have been nice to get a bit more even coverage between trans men and women. Otherwise great book. I genuinely couldn't put it down and I wish I could show this to everyone. We've always been here !!

[Emmaby Barton Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this! always interesting reading about queer history in an australian context and this was written in a way that was comprehensive, interesting, and accessible - even though it could have easily been a very boring/dry read. i also can’t imagine how affirming reading a book like this would be for trans people - showing they have always existed etc. (john who spent 30 years collecting anything he could find about transness into scrapbooks really stood out to me)

i definitely found the second half of the book more interesting and was disappointed because i was looking forward to reading about the older histories - i feel this section had a lot of potential and wish there had been (throughout the whole book but especially earlier chapters) a lot more use of interviews/quotes/hearing from trans people themselves - the few quotes we do get, especially from older trans people, are so interesting/invaluable and i’m sad we didn’t get a lot more of that. in general, this book was definitely on the shorter side, and there was lots of space to flesh it out and provide more detail which would have been really interesting!!

i was initially hesitant about this book being written by a cis white man - and while it would of course be incredible for it to be written by a trans person! - i do think noah did a great job at being respectful and providing a range of perspectives etc.

some things that stood out to me/i found interesting
- the history of language and labels and identities is always so fascinating - i’m always interested in how difficult it can sometimes be to conceptualise/understand some of these older perceptions/labels etc. because of how different our understandings of sex and gender are now
- the continued lack of visibility of AMAB trans people and their different experiences - and what the reasons might be for this e.g., could claim their cross-dressing was to gain benefits of being a man, assumed to be butch lesbians, now more equal numbers of trans men/women
- the continued pros and cons of medicalisation and visibility and labels in terms of providing identity/visibility/understanding of self whilst also potentially being restrictive, preventing/hindering diversity and acceptance (and always surprising how early transness is accepted but becomes less acceptable/more difficulty bureaucratically as visibility increases unfortunately) (while i was surprised how early acceptance occurred in some areas, i think the difficulties were sometimes a bit glossed over though)
- relatedly, the ongoing debates around conformity and respectability - but also the frustration of the continued ongoing community infighting! why do we always fight each other and forget the common enemy versus our shared solidarity!! it was really interesting learning more about the internal politics though - for example, i hadn’t realised how the trans community viewed a lack of respectability amongst the queer community and distanced themselves on this basis - i’d only heard about it from the other perspective. learning about the tranny wars was also v interesting for similar reasons
- loved chapter 5 - so important to explore the specific issues of trans people of colour and especially first peoples!! the questions at the start about the need to prove past queerness was really interesting, as was the fact that there isn’t always a difference between queerness and gender. and that AFAB trans people still less common in many cultures. (again, really wish we’d gotten more first person accounts here!)
- shocked at the lack of trans representation in politics - didn’t realise this was still lacking - and in contrast how we are considered one of the more progressive countries in terms of trans legislation. so much progress made but so far to go.

[Andrew Bysterveldt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Maybe because it’s a story I’ve heard and partly lived. I was hoping to find something engaging and new in this book. But I found it a bit dull. Not that people’s lives were dull but the writing style. It’s almost insecure and trying to justify itself as an academic work. It took 3 months to complete when usually I finish books in 5-10 days. Good history lesson for people who don’t know the history - nothing new for those who do. This is not a transphobic review - I transitioned FTM in 1998 so am giving an honest opinion from the perspective of a transman.

[Kai Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you rate and review a history? Not sure! But I will say that I was looking forward to this one coming out for a while, and was not disappointed!

[Briar Harte]

Fascinating history and well written. Enjoyed and would recommend.

[Madeline Doncon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fantastically comprehensive overview and I'm glad it exists, however the highly factual nature of the writing did feel a bit tiring and I wished it contained more personal stories illustrated throughout the writing. I will always be more likely to remember and draw on stories than facts about events and laws.