A random collection of over 1910 books and audiobooks authored by or about my transgender, intersex sisters, and gender-nonconforming persons all over the world. I read some of them, and I was inspired by some of them. I met some of the authors and heroines, some of them are my best friends, and I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing some of them. If you know of any transgender biography that I have not covered yet, please let me know.
Original title: "Chi ha paura della Muccassassina? Il mio mondo in discoteca e viceversa" (Who's afraid of the Muccassassina? My world at the disco and vice versa)
'Who is Vladimir Luxuria? Who was she before being a member of parliament? Where did she start her battles for equality, freedom, and the recognition of rights? From the stage of the Muccassassina, lesbian-gay-trans party event and disco - as if it were a gigantic magnifying glass on the world - Vladimir Luxuria tells us about the submerged yet irrepressible world of diversity, of other beauty, of a world that is, however, close to us.
And from that stage - as if it were, this time, a mirror - Vladimir Luxuria tells himself as a stroboscopic ray of vitality, civil commitment, and freedom. In the wake of Pier Vittorio Tondelli's "Postmodern Weekend", Vladimir Luxuria describes the inside and outside of the disco as "the stage used to be scratched by the heels of a drag queen or to scream our animalism, our pride, our pacifism".'
2007,
Italian,
Vladimir Luxuria,
Full title: "Confessions of A Transsexual Porn Star".
"This is the true story of transsexual adult film superstar Meghan Chavalier as told by Meghan herself. Meghan will take you through her years as a stage performer, and a dancer, and ultimately how she became the most famous transsexual adult film star in the world.
It hasn't all been all fame and fortune, in fact, Meghan will walk you through the tumultuous steps in her life, growing up with an alcoholic abusive father, drug abuse, prostitution, the adult film industry, the failed relationships, the love she finally found that changed her life and a lifelong struggle with Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression.
2007,
English,
Meghan Chavalier,
Full title: "Dragonfly Daughter: The Story of Violet Rose".
"Imagine an unusual life lived in secrecy, on a crash course with a tragedy that can only be avoided through courageous action that severs oneself from the past, and dooms one life in order to save another. This unusual tale is the story of Violet Rose whose memoir describes a world marked by all the deprivation and abuse typically associated with parental neglect, alcoholism, and mental illness, but with an added twist - prenatal trauma that produced birth defects and gender identity disorder. As a result, Violet Rose had to live a life of many secrets, hiding them and herself behind a fabricated he-man fa¿ade.
A personal narrative filled with poignant childhood memories, Dragonfly Daughter recounts how sympathetic protagonist Phil overcomes a childhood scarred by rape, deprivation, and fear to achieve the appearance of outward adult success as an accomplished engineer, business owner, husband, and father. It is also the story of Phil's unraveling, eventual demise, and finally the emergence of Violet Rose.
2007,
English,
Rose Mary Chaulk,
Original title: "I samfundets sprækker: studier i upassende sociologi II" ( In the Cracks
of Society – Studies in Inappropriate Sociology II).
The book covers interviews with several transgender women – conducted in March 2005, presenting a wide range of human destinies, incidents, and strange experiences that one is usually not aware of. It shows people who, due to a different way of life or self-understanding, find themselves in the shadows, outskirts, or cracks of the 'normality' world.
The publication presents a wide range of micro-sociological and micro-ecological studies of life forms, localities, and people who are on the margins of society or who, in their daily lives, must seek to deal with their otherness through a variety of strategies or practices. We meet call girls, infantilists, prison inmates, far-right sympathizers, vagabonds, death workers, transgender women, and porn stars. All the chapters focus on identity and interaction and their methodologically qualitative and exploratory research angle.
2007,
Danish,
Michael Hviid Jacobsen,
Original title: "El tercer sexo: retratos de mujeres transexuales" (The Third Gender: Portraits of Transsexual Women) by Guillermo Hernáiz.
"The social invisibility of the transsexual community, composed of almost thirty thousand people, is more than enough reason to pay attention to it.
Following a report made for Primera Línea, the magazine of which he is director, Guillermo Hernaiz comes into contact with the reality of Brazilian trans women who are luxury call girls in Barcelona. The first operations, hormones, the jump to Europe.
2007,
Guillermo Hernáiz,
Spanish,
"She became the iconic image of the perfect transsexual female. A stunningly beautiful face and body exploded onto the world wide web at the turn of the millennium and inspired artists and photographers and provoked adulation and confusion in countless men AND women.
Raquel Reyes' charismatic presence, jaw-dropping beauty, and bold sensuality are the stuff of legend... but it's her life, the one she chose and ultimately survived, that fuels this rich and entertaining read.
Written with great style by Raquel herself, it is a vivid recreation of a life filled with pain and pleasure, glamour and heartache, self-destruction and redemption. From Tampa where she was born to the clandestine brothels of Boston and New York to the mansions of Miami Beach and Los Angeles where she played with actors, rock stars, and porn queens to the islands of Greece and cities across Europe and South America, it is a tale of beauty gone wild and Raquel's desperate search for something, anything, that mattered. It's the truth behind the beauty and it isn't all pretty. But it's exactly how it happened."
2007,
English,
Raquel Reyes,
USA,
Original title: "Je n'ai jamais tué quelqu'un qui ne le méritait pas" (I never killed someone who didn't deserve it) by Kristina Dariosecq.
"My destiny is anything but common.
I am a transsexual who thought she had known all the trades during her eventful life... until Jean-Pierre.
The one who shares my nights is a gunman as they say, a figure of organized crime who has chosen to free himself from the laws of the Republic.
His life feels like a Hollywood movie, and I can't resist giving you the script.
The story of Jean-Pierre Tagliafferi is a series of mistakes between robberies, prison, and the settlement of scores. A tumultuous journey punctuated by the howling of police sirens, which sometimes saw blood flow, even if one day my robber confessed to me: "I never killed someone who did not deserve it"."
2007,
French,
Kristina Dariosecq,
Full title: "Pantau in India" by Veronique Renard. She is one of the most inspirational women for me.
"She was born near Amsterdam in the Netherlands. In 2000, she immigrated to Asia. For nearly seven years, she lived in the hometown of the Dalai Lama in the Indian Himalayas. In the fall of 2006, Veronique moved to Thailand. Currently, she lives with her family in Bangkok."
"This compelling and inspiring story from the Himalayas will mesmerize the reader from the first to the last page. Pantau in India is a tale about fulfilling your dream and reaching your destiny. Pantau in India is the fascinating life story of Veronique Renard, a career woman who was struck by a severe depression at the turn of the millennium. On the night she wants to commit suicide, her inner voice tells her to stay alive and become the happiest person in the world.
2007,
English,
Interview,
Netherlands,
Veronique Renard,
Original title: "Die Diva ist ein Mann: Das große Tuntenbuch" (The diva is a man: the big fag book).
"Shrill and quick-witted, weird and over the top, funny and endearing. What is really behind the clichés of a fag? Psychologist, author, and photographer Patrick Hamm investigates this phenomenon in over 100 portraits, interviews, and essays.
Questions that are as fundamental as they are interesting are asked, such as: What is male, what is female? What is subversive about a disguise? Colorful birds of paradise in all their glitter and glamour, pumps, and pomp are lovingly and humorously presented and documented in numerous color photos.
From the Berlin rubble queen to Priscilla - Queen of the Desert: Patrick Hamm draws a differentiated and entertaining picture of the queen movement, which is indispensable in the media as well as on stage and in everyday life."
2007,
German,
Patrick Hamm,
Full title: "Naughty and Nice: The Colorful Life of Transsexual Vanessa" by Vanessa Mateo.
"Filipino transsexual Vanessa shares with you her stories about close family ties, good friendships, enduring happiness, fulfillment of dreams, and sizzling bedroom experiences. It's also the story of a young boy who grows up to become a beautiful woman inside and out.
Born to a middle-class family in the Philippines, Vanessa overcame life's challenges and obstacles during her younger years. Living as a full-time female transsexual in her twenties, Vanessa encountered many difficulties and difficult people but eventually overran her critics and detractors.
2007,
English,
Philippines,
Vanessa Mateo,
Original title: "Μπέττυ" (Betty) by Elizabeth Vakalidou (Ελισάβετ Βακαλίδου), published in 1979. The book was republished in 2007 with the title "Μπέττυ, Καπετάνιος της Ψυχής μου" (Betty, Captain of My Soul).
This book is the story of Elizabeth Vakalidou, also known as Betty, born in 1950, a Greek transgender woman, one of the best-known transgender people in Greece, who publicly promoted her identity and fought for gay and intersex rights. She participated in the founding of the first Greek homosexual organization in Greece, the A.K.O.E. (Greek Gay Liberation Movement), authored two autobiographical books, and appeared in theater and cinema productions. She was also nominated as "Person of the Year" (2007) during the "European Year of Equal Opportunities for All".
1979,
2007,
Elizabeth Vakalidou,
Georges Burou,
Greek,
Full title: "No Man's Land: The Story of a Man who Became a Woman". The first 2005 edition of the book was published under the name of Paula Goergen.
"The true story of a girl born into a boy's body and her struggle to find her real identity in a conservative family. Born a boy in post-war Germany, Paula Goergen uprooted to live in Ireland and was constantly on a voyage of self-discovery, struggling to find her true gender identity while trying to maintain a normal life, which finally culminated in gender transition and re-alignment surgery.
Now under self-imposed exile in the UK, Paula tells the dramatic story of what it means to struggle with gender identity and the high price to be paid for facing up to the truth."
2005,
2007,
English,
Paula Goergen,
Paula Grieg,
Full title: "Star Light, Star Bright: The Story of a Wish Come True" by Rachael Evelyn Booth
"This is the moving story of a woman's experience through life in her struggle to correct a defect that she was born with - the mind of a woman but the body of a man. Sometimes heartbreaking and often hilarious, the author describes life growing up in two worlds and her attempts to somehow fit in the world that expected her to be male, and, when that failed, to fight against the bigotry of society and the misunderstanding of family and friends to become the full person that she is today."
I interviewed Rachael Evelyn Booth in 2016 and asked her about her transition experiences: "The thing I’m proudest of myself for in my road to transition is that I never let any outside influence be a crutch for me to lean on that could possibly become a hindrance to me later. I was convinced that I could do this simply using my own inner strength.
2007,
English,
Rachael Evelyn Booth,
USA,
Original title: "Watashi wa on'na" - 『私は女』(I am a Woman) by Maki Carrousel (カルーセル 麻紀, Karūseru Maki).
This is the third biography of Maki Carrousel, a Japanese actress, singer, and legend of the Japanese transgender community. She was born Maki Hirahara in 1942, in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan. She is said to have been the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery in Japan and a pioneer in changing the family register from male to female.
After dropping out of school, she ran away from home at the age of 15 and started working at gay bars first in Sapporo, and later in Tokyo and Osaka. Ever since she was a teenager, she wanted to be a woman, but gender reassignment surgery was still prohibited in Japan at the time. So when she was 19 years old, she underwent surgical castration i.e. bilateral orchiectomy (excision of both testicles) at a hospital in Osaka.
2007,
Coccinelle,
Georges Burou,
Japanese,
Maki Carrousel,
Full title: "You're Lost Little Girl" by Jamie Antonia Symonanis
Beginning with her erroneous birth, 'You're Lost Little Girl' will take you on a journey of what it is like to have lived a life with gender dysphoria, to be transgendered.
Jamie Antonia uses a dark sense of humor and her own personal experiences to give one the idea of what that existence is like.
2007,
English,
Jamie Antonia Symonanis,
Full title: "Pholomolo: No Man No Woman" by Veronique Renard. She is one of the most inspirational women for me.
"She was born near Amsterdam in the Netherlands. In 2000, she immigrated to Asia. For nearly seven years, she lived in the hometown of the Dalai Lama in the Indian Himalayas. In the fall of 2006, Veronique moved to Thailand. Currently, she lives with her family in Bangkok."
"Author Veronique Renard omitted something critical in her popular 2003 memoir Pantau in India. As if leaving behind Dutch corporate life, converting to Buddhism, and living among Tibetan refugees in the Himalayas was not amazing enough, Veronique transitioned from male to female 25 years ago and has never mentioned it since.
Until now. In her remarkable follow-up memoir Pholomolo, Veronique opens up for the first time. Laugh-out-loud moments punctuate this heartfelt portrait of her childhood struggles to express herself in a world that told her she had to be a boy. After transition at seventeen, she never discusses her background with family, friends, colleagues, and lovers. Now, she shares her unique experiences as a transsexual female in the occidental and oriental world with absolute candor."
In 2013, I interviewed her and asked her about the attitude of Buddhism towards transgender people: "The Tibetan Buddhists call us pholomolos. Pho means Male and Mo means Female and Lo means no. Not man, not woman. I liked that idea. Since the Tibetans explained to me the phenomenon of transsexualism, I started to feel a lot of self-worth. They think we are special, holy, half-god-like. It’s almost a joy to introduce myself to Tibetans and Indians as a transsexual! Buddhism doesn’t have much to say on this particular matter.
Buddhism is all about finding Nirvana, enlightenment, and everybody has the right to follow the path of the Buddha, including transsexuals, so there is no religious discrimination toward us.
In Asia people often turn to half-man-half-woman figures to receive their blessings for good luck.
Transsexualism is a totally different thing in Asia. They are the shamans, the holy people, the priests, those figures who find their place somewhere between the gods and the human people. We are everything; both man and woman, human and god in one body. We are unlike non-transsexual people."
2007,
English,
Interview,
Netherlands,
Veronique Renard,
Full title: "Marie parce que c'est joli" (Marie because it's pretty)
"Marie-Pierre's book is the authentic chronicle of a little boy who felt like a little girl, a little girl who became a woman, and a woman who, by dint of tenacity, finds success and meets love.
We follow Marie from her childhood in Algeria to the Carrousel cabaret where she becomes BAMBI, Coccinelle's friend, and the headliner of the show for twenty years.
We follow Marie because she knows how to tell us the simple and exhilarating story of a "transition" that upsets her love and triggers her interest in the university education that leads her to another profession, national education, where she obtains the academic degree and especially the recognition of her former students."
2007,
Bambi,
Christine Jorgensen,
Coccinelle,
France,
French,
Georges Burou,
Lili Elbe,
Marie-Pier Ysser,
Marie-Pierre Pruvot,
Michel Marie Poulain,
Roberta Cowell,
Full title: "From Leonard To Leona: A Singapore Transsexual's Journey To Womanhood"
"From Leonard to Leona is the first transsexual autobiography to emerge from Singapore. Growing up as the only son in a traditional Chinese family meant that Leona had to suppress her gender identity conflict throughout her adolescent years until she felt she could not live a lie anymore.
A series of major incidents during compulsory military service and her tertiary education at York University, United Kingdom led to her life-changing decision to go to Bangkok for sexual reassignment surgery."
2007,
English,
Leona Lo,
Singapore,
Full title: "Pubblici scandali e private virtù. Dalla Dolce Vita al convento. Dialogo con Willy Vaira" (Public scandals and private virtues. From Dolce Vita to the convent. Dialogue with Willy Vaira). The book was published in 2007 and 2021.
Giò Stajano (1931-2011) was the most famous transgender woman in Italy, first publicly declared as gay, then a reserved lady dedicated to painting who, at an aperitif time, never gave up her Martini Dry.
She was famous for scandals. Her aspiration was success and not rebellion, and her motivation was personal and not political. But certainly, scandals contributed greatly to the birth of the LGBT movement in Italy.
2007,
2021,
Georges Burou,
Giò Stajano,
Italian,
Willy Vaira,
Full title: "Becoming a Woman: A Biography of Christine Jorgensen" by Richard F. Docter.
"Discover Christine Jorgensen’s remarkable, inspirational journey to become the woman she always knew she should have been. Becoming a Woman: A Biography of Christine Jorgensen provides fascinating insights about the woman who opened doors - and minds - on behalf of sexual minorities.
This book chronicles Christine’s drive, ability to solve problems, immense determination, and just plain luck as she transformed herself into her true gender - and reveals facets of her personality previously undisclosed by other biographies of her life."
The book covers the story of Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989), an American singer, actress, celebrity, and the most iconic figure of the transgender movement in the USA, if not in the whole world, famous for being the first world-famous person to have surgery sexual reassignment conducted in Denmark in the 1950s, inducted into Chicago's Legacy Walk celebrating LGBT history in 2012, honored in San Francisco's Rainbow Walk in 2014, and included in the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at Stonewall National Monument in New York City in 2019.
2007,
Christine Jorgensen,
English,
Richard F. Docter,
