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: "Coccinelle: Chercher la femme" (Coccinelle: Look of A Woman) by Luca Conca and Gloria Ciapponi.
"In 1953, at the now legendary Madame Arthur cabaret, a young woman appeared on stage dressed in a modest sarong but already possessing captivating charm. The audience applauds and does not yet know that they have just attended the first performance of Coccinelle, an artist who will soon have a string of triumphs on stages around the world.
However, nothing predestined Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy, born Jacques Charles in a modest family and raised by a violent and authoritarian father, to shine in the spotlight.
At a time when cross-dressing is punishable by law and military service is still in place, Coccinelle invents a new way to live her life freely, and traces her own path as a liberated woman.
Defended by lawyer Robert Badinter, Coccinelle became the first French public figure to officially change her marital status and performed on stages around the world, from Syndey to Rio de Janeiro via Dakar. In 1989, after nine months of triumph at the Casino de Paris, she was caught up in debt and was forced to distance herself from her French public for a while. A place that upon her return, she will never really be able to find again..."
2024,
Coccinelle,
French,
Gloria Ciapponi,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Luca Conca,
Full title: "Gender Rebels: 30 Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive Heroes Past and Present" by Katherine Locke and Shanee Benjamin (Illustrator).
"This fully illustrated book celebrates the history of thirty trans, gender expansive, and nonbinary heroes throughout the world.
Explore the history of trans and nonbinary people throughout the world in this gorgeously illustrated nonfiction book for young teens.
Readers will be educated and enlightened about gender-expansive people who have made a difference in our history and who continue to help raise awareness of diversity and inclusion in current society. Introductory materials give readers an insight into pronoun usage, the history of the word "transgender," and more before providing engaging and fascinating information about thirty trans, gender expansive, and nonbinary people who have helped shape our world.
2023,
Coccinelle,
English,
Georgina Beyer,
Jazz Jennings,
Katherine Locke,
Lana Wachowski,
lavern,
Lili Elbe,
Lilly Wachowski,
Lucy Hicks Anderson,
Marsha P. Johnson,
Rachel Levine,
Renée Richards,
Sylvia Rivera,
Full title: "Biography of Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy: A Renowned Singer, Entertainer, and Actress" by George Stenhouse.
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy, known by her stage name Coccinelle, was a French transgender actress and performer. She is often considered a pioneering figure in the transgender community and is known for her contributions to the visibility and acceptance of transgender individuals.
Coccinelle gained prominence in the 1950s and 1960s as a cabaret performer and actress.
She was one of the first transgender individuals to undergo gender confirmation surgery in 1958, a procedure that attracted significant media attention and helped raise awareness about transgender issues.
Coccinelle's openness about her gender identity and her advocacy work played a significant role in challenging societal norms and promoting acceptance of transgender people. She continued to work in entertainment throughout her life, appearing in films, television shows, and stage performances.
Coccinelle's legacy as a trailblazer for transgender rights and visibility continues to inspire and impact the LGBTQ+ community.
2022,
Coccinelle,
English,
George Stenhouse,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Original title: "The Girl from Casablanca: The True Story of the First Sex Change" is the English language edition of "La fille de Casablanca" by Juliette Jourdan.
"In 1956, in Casablanca, while Morocco struggles for its independence, Jenny, a young trans woman, solicits Dr. Georges Burou, a renowned, if somewhat enigmatic gynecologist, for a 'sex change'...
The Girl from Casablanca tells the true story of the first entirely successful sex reassignment surgery, at a time when the word 'trans' didn't even exist. It also tells a tale of daring and courage against all odds. True to himself, Dr. Burou went ahead with the first gender surgery to help a desperate and endearing young trans woman while risking ruining his career. Without knowing it, he would set the standard, to this day, for MtF surgery."
2021,
April Ashley,
Coccinelle,
English,
Jan Morris,
Juliette Jourdan,
Original title: "Trans en France: Histoire des personnes trans en France et ailleurs d'autrefois à nos jours" (Trans in France: History of trans people in France and elsewhere from the past to the present day) by Jenny Latreille.
This book is intended for anyone who is interested in the history of trans people, particularly in France but not only, and in the issues (medical, legal, psychological, philosophical, sociological, artistic and others) that have always accompanied and surround people who choose, claim, undergo or refuse a sex and/or gender reassignment.
Trans people themselves will, of course, be able to find information there, in particular of a historical or epistemological nature, which they would not necessarily find elsewhere. It's always good to know where you're from. The work includes a copious bibliography and a filmography, and an index.
2018,
Bambi,
Coccinelle,
French,
Jenny Latreille,
Marie-Pier Ysser,
Full title: "Frissons au Carrousel" (Chills at the Carrousel) by Marie-Pierre Pruvot.
Coccinelle was a living legend. She owed it to her beauty, her overflowing femininity, her incomparable brilliance both in the city and on the stage. Her character imposed herself by another aspect: she was "something never seen before".
The anecdote shows her in a difficult moment when she thinks she is losing face by following her own principles of wisdom... But her petulance takes over, her instinct makes her triumph. Everything happens in Marseille. This is an opportunity to evoke the famous Alcazar, a monument of the music-hall, which does not exist anymore.
2013,
Bambi,
Coccinelle,
French,
Marie-Pierre Pruvot,
Original title: "Quand j'étais petit garçon" (When I was a little boy) by Galia.
Queen of Parisian nights (Carrousel, Palace, Alcazar, Queen), Galia tells for the first time her childhood... of a little boy like no other. This is the drama of Domino, a little boy with fine features born in Marseille in the fifties, and whose immoderate penchant for his mother's falbalas has a bad effect in the heart of Le Panier, a district where half-tones do not exist, where men must be taciturn and virile, and women more than sensual.
But he chose his clan. He does not like violent games, the warrior spirit of his comrades, preferring the company, the outfits, and the delicacy of the girls. The feminine universe fascinates him; He is convinced that it is his. But how to live it, admit it, say it? Can the ugly duckling become another creature? One of those black swans that his schoolmistress reveals to him one day?
2017,
Alcazar,
Carrousel,
Coccinelle,
French,
Galia Salimo,
"Reverse Sex" is the English language edition of "Elle est lui" (She is lui) by Mario A. Costa.
The book is a biography of Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy, also known by her stage name Coccinelle. She was a French actress, cabaret entertainer, and singer. She named herself Coccinelle (Ladybird), a tribute to a red dress with black polka dots that she often wore. She was born on August 23, 1931 in Paris, France and passed away on October 9, 2006 in Marseille, France.
She entered the French world of entertainment in 1953 at Madame Arthur and then at the Carrousel in Paris. This is when she met Bambi, another cabaret performer and legendary transgender icon. Coccinelle helped Bambi with her first performances and gave her shelter at her home.
1965,
Bambi,
Coccinelle,
English,
Georges Burou,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Mario A. Costa,
Full title: "Transvestism Today: The Phenomena of Men Who Dress as Women" by Edward Podolsky and Carlson Wade.
The book was published in 1960, so it reflects how scientists perceived transgender people at that time, and it illustrates the challenges that our transgender sisters had to face.
Look at this: "Physician Kenneth Walker, M.D. says, "The obstacles standing in the way of surgical treatment are formidable. In the first place, there are few surgeons capable of carrying out the series of plastic operations required to bring about an external change of sex. In the second place, many of those who now clamour for surgical treatment would hastily withdraw their candidature if they were to be told precisely what it entailed. In the third place the legality of the conversation operation is debatable."
1960,
April Ashley,
Carlson Wade,
Coccinelle,
Edward Podolsky,
English,
Original title: "Coccinelle par Coccinelle" (Coccinelle by Coccinelle). This is the only biography of Coccinelle written by herself.
The book is a biography of Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy, also known by her stage name Coccinelle. She was a French actress, cabaret entertainer, and singer. She named herself Coccinelle (Ladybird), a tribute to a red dress with black polka dots that she often wore. She was born on August 23, 1931 in Paris, France and passed away on October 9, 2006 in Marseille, France.
She entered the French world of entertainment in 1953 at Madame Arthur and then at the Carrousel in Paris. This is when she met Bambi, another cabaret performer and legendary transgender icon. Coccinelle helped Bambi with her first performances and gave her shelter at her home.
1987,
Bambi,
Coccinelle,
French,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Original title: "Histoire des transsexuels en France" (History of Transsexuals in France)
Being the country of the emergence of the transsexual phenomenon at the beginning of the twentieth century, Germany then met the necessary conditions for the implementation of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld's theories on "sexual intermediaries". After the ransacking by the Nazis of the Institute of Sexology, France takes over in Europe: the artist Michel-Marie Poulain announces her change of gender in Voilà and the deported Marie André Schwidenhammer creates the first organization to help transsexuals.
These two pioneers thus laid the foundations for social visibility that reached its peak with the transgender cabaret culture in Paris in the 1950s and 60s when the French discovered the scandalous Beetle. However, even after "sexual liberation", the judicial, police, and psychiatric authorities put in place repression in order to prevent transsexuals from changing their civil status and making their transition in good conditions.
2006,
Bambi,
Coccinelle,
French,
Georges Burou,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Marie-Pierre Pruvot,
Maxime Foerster,
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: "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,
Original title: "Watashi o nuga sete" - 『私を脱がせて』(Take Me Off) by Maki Carrousel (カルーセル 麻紀, Karūseru Maki).
This is the first 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.
2002,
Coccinelle,
Georges Burou,
Japanese,
Maki Carrousel,
Full title: "April Ashley's Odyssey" by Duncan Fallowell and April Ashley.
It was the first biography of April Ashley, written by Duncan Fallowell and April Ashley herself. April Ashley (1935–2021) was an English model, actress, cabaret artist, and celebrity. Outed as a transgender woman by The Sunday People newspaper in 1961, she was one of the earliest British people known to have undergone gender reassignment surgery.
After a short episode in the Merchant Navy, she started cross-dressing and she moved to Paris in the late 1950s, using the name Toni April. She joined the entertainer Coccinelle in the cast of the famous drag cabaret at the Caroussel Theatre.
At the age of 25, she underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1960, performed in Casablanca, Morocco, by Georges Burou. After returning to Britain, she started using the name April Ashley and became a successful fashion model, appearing in many fashion magazines.
1982,
April Ashley,
Coccinelle,
Duncan Fallowell,
English,
Full title: "She-Male: The Sex-Reversal True Life Story of Coccinelle" by Carlson Wade.
The book is a biography of Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy, also known by her stage name Coccinelle. She was a French actress, cabaret entertainer, and singer. She named herself Coccinelle (Ladybird), a tribute to a red dress with black polka dots that she often wore. She was born on August 23, 1931 in Paris, France and passed away on October 9, 2006 in Marseille, France.
She entered the French world of entertainment in 1953 at Madame Arthur and then at the Carrousel in Paris. This is when she met Bambi, another cabaret performer and legendary transgender icon. Coccinelle helped Bambi with her first performances and gave her shelter at her home.
1963,
Bambi,
Carlson Wade,
Coccinelle,
English,
Georges Burou,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Original title: "Elle est lui" (She is lui) by Mario A. Costa.
The book is a biography of Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy, also known by her stage name Coccinelle. She was a French actress, cabaret entertainer, and singer. She named herself Coccinelle (Ladybird), a tribute to a red dress with black polka dots that she often wore. She was born on August 23, 1931 in Paris, France and passed away on October 9, 2006 in Marseille, France.
She entered the French world of entertainment in 1953 at Madame Arthur and then at the Carrousel in Paris. This is when she met Bambi, another cabaret performer and legendary transgender icon. Coccinelle helped Bambi with her first performances and gave her shelter at her home.
1963,
Bambi,
Coccinelle,
French,
Georges Burou,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Mario A. Costa,
"Los travestis: Y el enigma de cambio de sexo" (The Transvestites: And the Enigma of Sex Change) by Jaques Delpal.
I tried to find some information about this publication but unfortunately, I was not able to find any source. On the cover, we can see Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy, better known by her stage name Coccinelle, a French transgender actress, entertainer, and singer. She was born on August 23, 1931 in Paris, France and passed away on October 9, 2006 in Marseille, France.
She was an international celebrity and a renowned club singer. She performed regularly at the famous nightclub Le Carrousel de Paris, which also featured regular acts by other famous trans women such as April Ashley and Bambi. She underwent a vaginoplasty by Georges Burou in Casablanca in 1958. After the operation, she became a media sensation and performed the Cherchez la femme revue which ran for 7 months at the Olympia in Paris between 1963 and 1964. In 1987, her autobiography was published, titled Coccinelle par Coccinelle. She was married to Francis Bonnet from 1960 to 1962, Mario Costa from 1963 until his death in 1977, and Thierry Wilson from 1996 until her death.
1974,
Bambi,
Coccinelle,
Georges Burou,
Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy,
Jacques Louis Delpal,
Spanish,
