A random collection of over 1994 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: "Despida: Reflexões de uma Mulher Transexual" (Stripped Bare: Reflections of a Transgender Woman) by Lara Crespo.
Lara Crespo wrote her book Despida: Reflexões de uma Mulher Transexual as an act of honesty and self-exposure that few people are brave enough to attempt. She gathered her thoughts, memories, emotions, and the quiet and turbulent moments that shaped her transition, and she placed them in front of the reader without filters. This book does not attempt to construct a traditional autobiography. Instead, it invites readers into a space of contemplation where both transgender and cisgender individuals can reflect on the inner reality of a woman discovering and asserting her identity in a world that often refuses to understand her.
The reflections in this book cover several years of Lara's life and capture the evolution of her self-awareness during her clinical transition. Her intention was not simply to tell her story but to dismantle the myths and misconceptions that surround transgender identities. She believed deeply in confrontation through truth. For this reason she wrote words that were as direct as they were painful. She often repeated a phrase that is common in Portuguese and Brazilian LGBTQ activism, transfobia mata. This means transphobia kills. It is not a metaphor. It is a reminder of the harsh reality faced by transgender people who endure violence, discrimination, exclusion, and hostility simply for existing. When Lara used that phrase, she did so to warn society of the stakes. She wanted to show that prejudice is not an abstract idea but a force that destroys lives.
2016,
Lara Crespo,
Portuguese,
Original title: "台灣跨性別前史：醫療、風俗誌與亞際遭逢" (The Prehistory of Transgender in Taiwan: Medical Treatment, Customs, and Inter-Asian Encounters) by Chen Wei-chen (跨性別倡議站).
Chen Wei-chen’s book The Prehistory of Transgender in Taiwan: Medical Treatment, Customs, and Inter Asian Encounters is a rare example of transgender studies written from within the community rather than about it. Published in 2016 by the Transgender Advocacy Station, it appeared during a decade when Taiwanese LGBTQ scholarship was expanding rapidly, yet still tended to focus on the post-martial law era and on narratives that aligned neatly with Western academic categories. Chen’s work deliberately moves in the opposite direction.
Instead of accepting the familiar timeline in which transgender politics enter Taiwan through American second-wave feminism and gay liberation, the book explores what existed before these imported frameworks arrived and before the vocabulary of gender identity and LGBT politics became standardized. It begins with a simple question that turns out to be surprisingly disruptive. What if Taiwan always had its own forms of gender variance, its own aesthetic and cultural expressions, and its own political struggles, long before English terms shaped how such lives could be narrated. By going back into the mid-twentieth century and even earlier, Chen reveals a layered history of people whose lives were often recorded only through the eyes of doctors, journalists, police, and entertainment managers. Their experiences become a window into how Taiwanese society negotiated gender, desire, and respectability under rapidly changing political and economic conditions.
Full title: "Am I Trans Enough?" by Cathy Heart.
In a time not too far behind us, transgender people lived largely in silence, invisible to a society that did not yet have the words, understanding, or compassion to grasp their realities. The cultural landscape was bleak, dominated by misconceptions that being transgender was either a sexual preference or a curious lifestyle choice. Into this difficult world came the early life of Cathy Heart, whose book Am I Trans Enough? reflects not only her personal journey but also the broader struggle of transgender individuals trying to find their place in a society that often refused to see them.
Cathy’s story begins in the pre-internet years, a period when information about transgender lives was scarce and communities of support were hard to find. For many, admitting to oneself that they were living in the wrong gender felt almost criminal. Cathy captures this atmosphere vividly, showing what it meant to grow up with an inner truth that could barely be spoken aloud. Her earliest memories stand out with remarkable clarity, such as being four years old and joyfully wearing a dress in her grandmother’s home. That small but powerful moment carried a sense of rightness that never left her, even as life grew more complicated.
2016,
Cathy Heart,
English,
Full title: "Passage" by Gwen Benaway.
"In her second collection of poetry, Passage, Gwen Benaway examines what it means to experience violence and speaks to the burden of survival. Traveling to Northern Ontario and across the Great Lakes, Passage is a poetic voyage through divorce, family violence, legacy of colonization, and the affirmation of a new sexuality and gender. Previously published as a man, Passage is the poet's first collection written as a transwoman. Striking and raw in sparse lines, the collection showcases a vital Two Spirited identity that transects borders of race, gender, and experience.
In Passage, the poet seeks to reconcile herself to the land, the history of her ancestors, and her separation from her partner and family by invoking the beauty and power of her ancestral waterways. Building on the legacy of other ground-breaking Indigenous poets like Gregory Scofield and Queer poets like Tim Dlugos, Benaway's work is deeply personal and devastating in sharp, clear lines. Passage is a book burning with a beautiful intensity and reveals Benaway as one of the most powerful emerging poets writing in Indigenous poetics today."
2016,
Canada,
English,
Gwen Benaway,
Original title: "TRANSBARCELONAS: Cultura, género y sexualidad en la España del siglo XX" (Transbarcelonas: culture, gender and sexuality in the Spain of the twentieth century) by Rafael M. Mérida Jiménez.
"The 1970s have been colonized in Spain by the official discourse of the Transition, by political change and the construction of democracy. And like any process of colonization, it has been destructive and deceitful: the trans reality has been as ignored as it has been marginalized.
Thus, Barcelona's trans capital status was not only in the nightclubs, but also in its cinemas and streets. The Spanish political transition was very trans for multiple reasons, during a few years in which fantasy or desire prevailed over good sense and calculation, when some of the political and cultural initiatives that best replicated the reformist, pactist and prudent discourse were born.
2016,
Rafael M. Mérida Jiménez,
Spanish,
Original title: "Rogéria: uma mulher e mais um pouco" (bbbbbb) by Márcio Paschoal.
"Rogéria's story is more like fiction. Born Astolfo Barroso Pinto, she had to face great challenges to assert herself as a homosexual, an icon of transformism and, above all, an artist. Moved by an enormous passion for art and life, she conquered, over more than 50 years of career, her space in theater, cinema and television, consecrating herself as an irresistible, almost mythical character: Rogéria, the transvestite of the Brazilian family.
In this book, Marcio Paschoal reconstructs the intense trajectory of Astolfo-Rogéria from his first steps as a make-up artist for the singers of the radio era and the stars of TV Rio, through his debut on stage in the middle of the dictatorship, international success and artistic recognition on his return to Brazil. To draw a faithful portrait of Rogéria, the author did a great deal of iconographic research, gathering beautiful photos.
2016,
Brazil,
Márcio Paschoal,
Portuguese,
Full title: "Let Me Be a Girl: The True Story of a 7-Year-Old Transgender Child" by Avery Jackson.
"The inspirational story, told in her own words, of 7-year-old Avery Jackson, who was assigned male at birth, but has now transitioned into a young girl, tells the story of how she realised she was a girl and how she helped her parents and friends to understand her transition. Her heart-warming story covers themes of friendship, bullying, and self-esteem.
Whether you're into dolls, ninja warriors or teddy bears, climbing trees, taekwondo or ballet, this book lets readers know that it's okay to be who you want to be.
Avery's words are incredibly wise and articulate for such a young person and she will undoubtably provide support and inspiration to other families in similar situations."
2016,
Avery Jackson,
English,
"Tā tā" 她他 (She, He) is the Chinese language edition of "Conundrum" by Jan Morris.
I found this nice intro on Goodreads: "The great travel writer Jan Morris was born James Morris. James Morris distinguished himself in the British military, became a successful and physically daring reporter, climbed mountains, crossed deserts, and established a reputation as a historian of the British empire. He was happily married, with several children. To all appearances, he was not only a man, but a man’s man."
And here is an excerpt from a fantastic review from Transascity: "Conundrum is an autobiography, a tale about the life and transsexual journey of Jan Morris, noted British journalist and author. Born Humphrey Morris, Jan led an idyllic if somewhat lonely childhood, feeling since age 3 or 4 that she was born into the wrong body."
2016,
Chinese,
Jan Morris,
Original title: "Wo(W)man: Tuhan Tidak Membuat Rencana yang Tak Sempurna" (Wo(W)man: God Doesn't Make Imperfect Plans) by Merlyn Sopjan.
In her third book, Merlyn Sopjan again invites readers to dialogue about life and existence, which is full of injustice due to sharp divisions. Merlyn tries to make sense of life by thinking beyond the barriers that are still very dominant in our society. It's not easy and without challenges, but Merlyn consistently keeps doing it. And, everything is illustrated through straight words, without further ado.
"Merlyn herself underwent an inner struggle for quite a long time before her family’s acceptance. She began to feel “different” as a child, but she could never define herself because public discourses about gender dysphoria and transwomen were not yet widely held at the time. With the lapse of time, she realized her female mind, but she had been physically born as a male. Merlyn kept this awareness to herself."
2016,
Indonesian,
Merlyn Sopjan,
Full title: "A Mazo: The Amazons of the Amazon" by Frank Gaudlitz.
"Between 2013 and 2015, German photographer Frank Gaudlitz (born 1958) lived among an Andean community of transsexuals for several months. Having been presented in numerous exhibitions, his highly stylized, almost painterly images are now published in this sophisticated volume of photographs."
2016,
English,
Frank Gaudlitz,
Original title: "Vimarśa kā tīsarā paksha" विमर्श का तीसरा पक्ष (Third Gender) by Vijendra Pratāpa Simha.
The book covers articles on the social conditions of transgender people and eunuchs in India.
2016,
Hindi,
Vijendra Pratāpa Simha,
Full title: "Gender Benders from the 1970's" by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.
"In the 1970’s gender bending was underground. Nowadays it is becoming more mainstream. In modern photography and art circles, the most desirable of this genre seems to be a gender bender photo taking pix of other gender benders."
Daniel D. Teoli Jr. is a self-taught photographer from Los Angeles. His career spans a variety of photographic styles and subjects, from black-and-white portraits and documentation of street life in Los Angeles in the 1970s and 1980s, to self-described “social documentary” and high-dynamic-range color portraiture.
He also has an archival collection, which includes the Daniel D. Teoli Jr. Small Gauge Film Archive that collects still photos. His work is available in various digital libraries.
2016,
Daniel D. Teoli Jr.,
English,
Full title: "Red Lipstick: The Men in My Life Hardcover" by Laxmi.
"The world keeps taunting him as girlish but the fact is that, biologically, he is a boy. And, he is always attracted to guys. Is Laxmi both a man and a woman? Or, perhaps, neither a man nor a woman? The first inklings and stirrings of lust that Laxmi remembers came from noticing big, strong arms, the hint of a guy's moustache over his lips, billboards that advertised men's underwear.
Laxmi found this puzzling initially. Was there a woman inside him who couldn't really express herself because of some last-minute mix-up that god did at the time of his birth? Struggling with such existential questions, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, eminent transgender activist, awakens to her true self: She is Laxmi, a hijra.
Original title: "Major i Helena: priča o vojniku koji se nije predao" (Major and Helena: The Story of a Soldier Who Did Not Surrender) by Maja Bekčić Petrović.
"Major and Helena" is a biography of Helena Vuković, a retired major of the Serbian Army who comes out as a trans woman. As the description of the book states, "She showed that she is braver than most men in Serbia".
The book describes her sacrifice and willingness to lose a lot to persuade society to see her as an educated woman with manners. Author Maja Bekčić Petrović wrote Helena's biography, which is full of happy and sad scenes at the same time. It showed Helena's life struggles with herself, and her confrontation with her family, wife, and society.
2016,
Helena Vuković,
Maja Bekčić Petrović,
Serbia,
Serbian,
Full title: "After Life As A Shemale Prostitute" by Rubi Danish.
"An introductory discussion about my former life as a shemale adult entertainer. I share some of the reasons why I made certain choices and some of my experiences in broad overview. Nothing too graphic. Plus, some pointers and tips based on my own experience."
2016,
English,
Rubi Danish,
Full title: "Transition The Story Of My Life With A Transgender" by Nell Rose. The book was published as an ebook in 2012 and a paperback in 2016.
"After being married for over 10 years you would think that nothing could shock you where your other half was concerned. But that day totally changed my life and shook me to the core! I can still feel the chill rushing through my body as I suddenly, horribly realized that my husband wasn't the man I thought he was!. Am I living in an alternate reality? Where had my loving kind husband gone? And who put this strange creature in his place? It was time to wake up."
2012,
2016,
English,
Nell Rose,
Full title: "Transgender Journey: Real Stories from Around the World" by Tristan Skye.
"In January 2015, I asked 10 questions. These questions were answered by Transgender / Gender Queer individuals from all around the world that included: all walks of life, all shapes, sizes and ages with different beliefs and life experiences. I had no idea the profound responses I would receive. This book is an intricate look inside the personal lives of almost 40 people located in countries spanning from the United States all the way to a small dot on the map called Slovenia.
The words inside this book reach into the depths of the soul, awakening anyone who picks it up to read. This book is perfect for those who are new to the journey, for family and friends who want to learn more, or for anyone who loves reading about the fascinating journeys of others. You may laugh, you may cry. No doubt this book will make a lasting impression in your mind (and heart) for years to come. Real Stories. Real Lives. Real Answers."
2016,
English,
Tristan Skye,
Full title: "Kathoey Ladyboy II.: The World History of Transgender or Transsexual People" by Heinz Duthel.
This book is the second book about Thai transgender women written by Heinz Duthel. The success of his first book "Kathoey Ladyboy: Thailand's Got Talent" made him focus on the other aspects of the kathoey phenomenon.
A "kathoey," often referred to as a "ladyboy," is a term used in Thailand to describe transgender women or effeminate gay men. Kathoey individuals have a unique and recognized place in Thai society and culture, though their experiences and acceptance can vary widely.
Kathoey individuals may undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and/or gender-affirming surgeries such as breast augmentation or genital reconstruction surgery.
2016,
English,
Heinz Duthel,
Thailand,
Full title: "Why Drag?" by Magnus Hastings.
"Photographer Magnus Hastings' new book Why Drag? asks this most basic question of drag queens in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. And the answers range from cliché to surprising in this gorgeous and lush coffeetable tome on this bombastic cultural phenomenon as it reaches new heights in a time of cultural change about gender identity and expression.
While there have been many photography books of drag queens, no one has given it the polish and sparkle that Hastings has with his 135 portraits, including familiar faces like Trixie Mattel, Paige Turner, Bianca Del Rio, Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales, Jackie Beat, Milk, Lady Bunny, Tammie Brown, Raja, Peaches Christ, Detox, Willam, and cover model Courtney Act.
2016,
Drag queen,
English,
Magnus Hastings,
Full title: "No Jam Butterfly: A Transgender Novella" by Nicole Ashley Jay.
"Live life through the eyes of a transgender woman.
In this novella, I wrote of my experiences trying to find myself. I had no idea that someone could be transgender, so I had to struggle with it for my entire adolescence. Read the story of how I found myself, and my gender to get a better understanding/appreciation for what trans people go through.
I wrote this novella to inform and show some of the hardships trans people face in today's society. If you ever wanted to know what it feels like to be transgender, then read this novella. It has humor, it has tragedy, but most importantly, it has heart."
2016,
English,
Nicole Ashley Jay,
