Behold, I Am a Woman (1972) by Dianne Boileau is one of the earliest autobiographical accounts of a transgender woman’s life and transition in Canada. The book begins with a mix of historical context and personal reflection. Dianne frames her story as one that is not only about herself but also about the larger struggles of people like her, combining moments of laughter, fear, and sadness with a plea for tolerance.
Her narrative opens with a night of tragedy: a late drive through Toronto that ended in a fatal accident, killing her close friend Rosemary. The trauma of this event haunts the opening of the book and later leads to Dianne’s public exposure, a trial, and national attention. From there, she takes the reader back to her beginnings. She was born Clifford on New Year’s Eve in Winnipeg, abandoned by her biological mother and placed in an orphanage before being adopted by Leo and Mary Boileau, a poor but loving couple in Manitoba. Her childhood was one of isolation in a rural home without electricity, running water, or neighbors. She was a sensitive and withdrawn only child, deeply tied to her parents but increasingly aware that she was different.
