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.
Full title: "A Feminist Post-transsexual Autoethnography: Challenging Normative Gender Coercion" by Julie Peters.
Gender as a social class along with its concomitant heteronormative gender coercion seem to be intransigent across time and cultures. But across these cultures we also see a degree of nonconforming behaviour which very often carries significant multi-dimensions of stigma and risk; because the exception proves the rule, an understanding of gender nonconformity sheds light on the normative operation of gender in society.
A Feminist Post-transsexual Autoethnography attempts to demythologise trans and gender diversity by conducting an in-depth critical analysis of the life choices of the autoethnographic subject (the author), who was so uncomfortable with their culturally allocated masculinity that they chose to live an apparently normal female life. The research is post-transsexual in that the subject forgoes passing in their affirmed gender to ensure the integrity of the data.
2019,
Australia,
English,
Julie Peters,
Full title: "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."
2023,
Australia,
English,
Noah Riseman,
Full title: "My Life Inside the Chrysalis" by S. Jane Hill.
"My Life Inside the Chrysalis is an autobiography about what molded me from birth to transition to the present. It is a sometimes brutal, often philosophical, story of my life and that which moulded me into the true self I am today… the strong woman that I have become."
"Susan Jane Hill was born as Steven Wayne Hill at Annandale in Sydney, Australia on the 16th of July 1968. She had a talent for writing and art from an early age, but did not follow these pursuits until much later in life. Having spent her life accumulating information through various educational sources and employment, her predominant career was within the banking and finance industry. She married in 1991 and remained so until she was divorced, in 2001. Up until the age of 50 she lived as her born sex, male, but after almost a lifetime of physical and mental abuse she had shed her fear and began living full time as a transgender woman, her true self."
2021,
Australia,
English,
S. Jane Hill,
Susan Jane Hill,
Full title: "My Knight's Quest: The story of a transwoman’s search to find a space for herself and a place where she could exist" by Adrian Barnes.
"Few of us consider that our life is particularly interesting or unusual. We can recall some brief highlights over the years with a smile, but often our lives are cluttered with moments we would rather not remember. I was no different in this respect, though perhaps I had more clutter than many. The events that could make up my life story, such as my career and family life, were clearly of little interest to anyone.
My past was captured in photograph albums and travel diaries, all hidden away in cupboards.
There was one aspect of my life that I would have preferred to remain buried, and that was my long quest to create a space for myself as a woman. Those memories might have remained comfortably hidden had it not been for one man who was determined to dig them up.
This autobiography tells the story of an Australian transwoman’s search to find a space for herself in the world; a place where she could truly exist. It is a story of how her life went from being secretive and unknown to being accepted and understood."
2022,
Adrian Barnes,
Australia,
English,
Full title: "Faking It: My Life in Transition" by Kyle Mewburn.
"Kyle Mewburn grew up in the sunburnt, unsophisticated Brisbane suburbs of the 1960s and '70s in a household with little love and no books, with a lifelong feeling of being somehow wrong - like 'strawberry jam in a spinach can'. In this book, Kyle describes this early life and her journey to becoming her own person - a celebrated children's book author, a husband and, finally, a woman.
This is a heartbreaking, often hilarious, candid true story about what it means to hide from yourself, your partner and the world, and then to attain the freedom and acceptance of being yourself. A story with the bittersweet beauty relevant for anyone wanting to know and understand the trans experience - or anyone wanting to discover who they are and what they are meant to be."
2022,
Australia,
English,
Kyle Mewburn,
New Zealand,
Full title: "Girl, Transcending: Becoming the woman I was born to be" by AJ Clementine.
"AJ Clementine always knew she was a girl. The problem was, she'd been born in a magical shell that looked, on the outside, like a perfect little boy. In her teens, this conflict between her outer and inner selves exploded, igniting years of anxiety and panic attacks. Now fast becoming one of the world's most visible transgender spokespeople, AJ's journey to accept and live as her true self has captivated hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok, Youtube and Instagram, where she has shared her gender transition, what it was like to grow up Wasian in a blended family, and her transformation into a model, influencer and trans advocate.
2022,
AJ Clementine,
Australia,
English,
Full title: "Tipsy Tango: A Biography" by Gina Gatto and Anna Russell.
The book presents the story of Serena Bell (called Anna Russell in the book), the former ladies' bowling club president in Australia.
Born as Kim Durant in 1944, she was married to a fashion model, fathered two children, became a motorcycle cop, ran a sex fantasy service, was president of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle club, and then had a sex change.
She was pictured in a national bikie magazine with her tattoo body art and married a Sydney man.
As Serena Bell, she became the president of a ladies' bowling club. Her story was published in the Fraser Coast Chronicle, the day before the launch of her biography.
2004,
Anna Russell,
Australia,
English,
Gina Gatto,
Full title: "Inside out: An Australian collection of coming out stories" by Erin Shale.
"An anthology of real life stories from the Australian gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Drawn from a wide range of experiences, cultural backgrounds and age groups, the collection explores the challenges and rewards of finding a way out of the closet and living a life of truth and integrity... Contributors include Monique Brumby, Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Sue-Ann Post, Bob Brown, and Ian Roberts."
"One of the most important achievements of adolescence and a crucial step towards becoming a happy, productive adult, is the process of identity formation. This involves defining who you are, what you value, and the direction you choose for your life. This search for self is becoming increasingly difficult for many young people, as is evidenced by the current record levels of substance abuse, depression, deliberate self-harm, and suicide.
1999,
Australia,
English,
Erin Shale,
Full title: "Memoirs of a Samoan, Catholic, and Fa'afafine" by Vanessa.
"Vanessa was born in independent Samoa, where her parents were Catholic missionaries. Her father, an American Samoan, was a naturalized United States citizen while her mother was a citizen of independent Samoa. Through the one-parent naturalization law of the U.S. Immigration Office, Vanessa became a United States national, the immigration status of all the citizens of the American Samoa Territory of the United States.
Her memoirs are a recollection of her life as she struggled through her sexual identity, becoming the first fa'afafine to reach a deputy position in a government department (ASCC) dressed as a woman. It also depicts her involvement in the establishment of the first fa'afafine organization on the island and its beauty pageant fund-raising to help the community, specifically the old people's home at Fatu-o-Aiga and the LBJ Medical Center. She also promulgates her reactions to the writings on fa'afafines by different authors in this short autobiography."
2007,
Australia,
English,
Vanessa,
Full title: "Man?: I'm not a man!" by Michelle Edwards.
"I've had quite a few people tell me I've lived
an interesting life and that I should write a book. So
I did. There are many, many other things I can write
about in this book, but I'm mainly interested in telling
the reader what I think are the key moments that
shaped who I became in this world, emphasizing my
transformation from male to female."
"Well, here I am. Perth, Western Australia, 2008
and I've finally found who I am, and what I am
doing here. It's been what seems like a very long,
hard road emotionally. It has been seven years since I changed gender.
It was hard, especially losing friends and family,
but at the same time, it felt completely natural to me,
almost like its how it was supposed to be. I still don't
know why, nor am I looking for a reason why. I just
tell people that it was something I wanted to do and
I don't make any excuses."
2010,
Australia,
English,
Michelle Edwards,
Full title: "You Say Different; I Say Individual: My Journey In Finding The Woman Within" by Shauna Wilson.
"Who are you? What do you see when you look in the mirror? Are you happy with the reflection staring back at you? In this must-read book, Shauna shares the torment she once felt in who she was brought up to believe she would be, where in actual fact, it was in complete conflict with who she eventually accepted herself as. Shauna provides insight into the pressure bestowed upon a child with a conflicted gender identity and the pain-filled path she walked to eventual happiness.
You Say Different – I Say Individual will take you through the complex life journey Shauna had to navigate, including the cover-up of various issues relating to her gender identity disorder; her sexuality, dating and relationships, her medical health, and mental health as a transgender woman. This important and engaging book is aimed at educating and informing its readers on a topic that has been considered taboo and misunderstood for far too long."
2021,
Australia,
English,
Shauna Wilson,
Full title: "A Fellow No More" by Traci Felloes.
"A journey from boyhood . . . to womanhood. This book if full of vivid and emotive imagery. It is a truly human story about an amazing person who battles the odds to be who she is, educating those around her and finding love and acceptance from people in all walks of life.
Traci has made all those who know her realise that a person should only be judged for the individual they are, not what sex they choose to be. She is a thoughtful human being who has a special way of creating acceptance and respect."
1997,
Australia,
English,
Traci Felloes,
Full title: "Chaye Unfolding" by Chaye Hartwell.
"Imagine a little girl trapped inside the body of a boy. This little girl has dreams of becoming a fashion model one day, but instead, life forces her to learn the art and craft of living as a male. She attends an all-boys boarding school, plays dominant male sports, and eventually crafts herself into the societal ideal of a young man.
This little girl is me, and for twenty-five years, she remained living her life in secret. Appearing in short bursts in the dark of night through a laptop screen or my imagination, her need for existence was my greatest shame and fear. Eventually, the pain of not sharing her with the world grew too intense, and regardless of how established my male life was, she needed to come out.
2021,
Australia,
Chaye Hartwell,
English,
Full title: "Now That I See You" by Emma Batchelor.
"In those first moments, that admission felt precious to me: it was something that I alone had been deemed worthy enough to carry and I was grateful. I was grateful to finally know, but I still couldn't speak.
Something was wrong, she knew it, but she was entirely unprepared for what he would tell her."
"Viewed through the lens of a relationship breakdown after one partner discloses to the other that they are transgender, this autofiction spans eighteen months: from the moments of first discovery, through the eventual disintegration of their partnership, to the new beginnings of independence.
In diaries and letters, Now That I See You unfolds a love story that, while often messy and uncomfortable, is a poignant and personal exploration of identity, gender, love and grief."
2021,
Australia,
Emma Batchelor,
English,
Full title: "Half Him Half Her: When do I get to be ME" by Stephanie Rachael Vaughan.
"Gender, what is it exactly? It has often been said that Gender is who you go to bed 'as', whereas Sexuality is who you go to bed 'with'. But what happens if you are born 'intersex' and sit somewhere in between male and female; a situation made more complex if your parents conceal that fact from you? And what to think when you learn, more than five decades later, that you had modifying surgery when you were born?"
"Half Him Half Her is a heartfelt portrait beginning with the birth of Robin, to farming parents, in a small Yorkshire town in 1961. Ostensibly a boy, a relatively happy childhood ensues until puberty confirms some of the conflicting and troubling feelings that Robin has been experiencing. The physical and mental bullying started there. But despite his ever-increasing anxiety Robin survives through school, work life and even marriage.
2021,
Australia,
English,
Stephanie Rachael Vaughan,
UK,
Full title: "Caught In The Act: A Memoir by Courtney Act" by Shane Jenek.
"Boy, girl, artist, advocate. Courtney is more than the sum of her parts. Meet Shane Jenek. Raised in the suburbs of Brisbane, Australia, by loving parents, Shane realises from a young age that he’s not like all the other boys. At a performing arts agency he discovers his passion for song, dance and performance, and makes a promise to himself: to find a bigger stage. Meet Courtney Act.
Born around the turn of the millennium, Courtney makes her name in the gay bars of Sydney. Years later, she makes star turns on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Celebrity Big Brother UK, bringing her unique take on drag and gender to the world. Behind this rise to global fame is a story of searching for and finding oneself. Told with Courtney’s trademark candour and wit, Caught in the Act is about our journey towards understanding gender, sexuality and identity. It’s an often hilarious and at times heartbreaking memoir from a beloved drag and entertainment icon. Most of all, it’s a bloody good time."
2022,
Australia,
Courtney Act,
Drag queen,
English,
Shane Jenek,
Full title: "What Would Love Do?: Parenting a child through the first year of gender transition" by Lyndsay Brown.
"Lyndsay Brown’s journey as the parent of a transgender child started on 25 October 2017 at about eight-fifteen p.m. It was abrupt and shocking, with no prior contemplations or parental imaginings to pave the way. It was the birth of a daughter she had absolutely not anticipated even for a single moment in her life until then."
"Olivia was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or the dissonance between the gender assigned at birth and her self-perceived gender identity. The image observed in a mirror did not match Olivia’s perceived concept of self. A powerful yearning to lead an authentic life requires courage because being transgender is an intensely difficult process. But trans children also demand realisation of the “right to be seen as equal, ordinary, normal and commonplace”. They are simply living life as ordinary teenagers progressing through puberty."
2020,
Australia,
English,
Lyndsay Brown,
"He Did It Her Way: Carlotta, Legend of Les Girls" by Carlotta and James Cockington is the first biography of Carlotta. The second biography "Carlotta: I'm Not That Kind of Girl" was published in 2003.
"For 26 years from 1963, Carlotta was the undisputed Queen of Kings Cross - the legend of Les Girls, a landmark theatre restaurant where all the women on stage were really drag queens. This is a fascinating and often hilarious journey into her world as a performer and transexual who started life as a Balmain boy and went on to have one of the first sex change operations in Australia."
According to Wikipedia, Carlotta, born Carol Byron in 1943, is a transgender Australian cabaret performer and television personality, known for being an original cast member of the long-running Sydney-based male revue Les Girls cabaret show.
1994,
Australia,
Carlotta,
English,
James Cockington,
Full title: "Orlando's Sleep: An Autobiography of Gender" by Jennifer Spry.
"This is an inspiring story of courage and perseverance toward the hardest goal of all - self-acceptance. As a child, Spry cherished the moments when he was left alone at home so he could dress up in his mother's clothes.
In adolescence, he tried to prove his manhood by competitive sailing and heavy drinking. When even marriage and fatherhood failed to make a man of him, John began the long journey towards recognition of herself as Jennifer, a woman and a lesbian."
"This autobiography by Jennifer Spry explores the complex issues of gender identity, beginning with a boyhood in Australia, through marriage, and her coming out as Jennifer, a transgendered lesbian."
1996,
Australia,
English,
Jennifer Spry,
Full title: "No Justice: An Investigation Into the Death of Adele Bailey" by Robin Bowles. The book was published in 2000, and it was republished in 2007 and 2021 (audiobook).
"This is the case that is still being investigated following two inquests and millions of dollars. It has also ruined several lives.
On 19 July 1995, two young men stumbled upon a partially clothed Melbourne transgender call girl Adele Bailey, who had been missing for more than 17 years.
How did Adele Bailey die, and why was her body hidden in a forgotten mineshaft?
Was there a connection between Adele Bailey and country housewife Jenny Tanner who had been killed on a nearby property?
2000,
Adele Bailey,
Australia,
English,
Robin Bowles,
