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: "Worden wie je bent: het leven van transgenders in Nederland" (Becoming who you are: the lives of transgender people in the Netherlands) by Saskia Keuzenkamp.
Some people are born male, but feel they are female. And some are born as women, but feel like men. Many of these transgender people decide at some point in their lives to have their gender changed through hormones and surgery. More attention has been paid to this group in recent years, also in government policy. But little is known about how they are doing.
At what age do they become aware of their 'transness'? How open are they about it and what reactions does that generate? What is their psychological health like?
2012,
Dutch,
Saskia Keuzenkamp,
Original title: "Transgenders en prostitutie: een Haagse Nachttocht" (Transgenders and prostitution: a night tour in The Hague) by Paul van Gelder.
"Transgenders and Prostitution: A Hague Night Tour" paints a current picture of transgender prostitutes and prostitution. No research has previously been conducted in the Netherlands into what is specific about transgender prostitution.
SHOP (Foundation for the Care of Prostitutes in The Hague) has therefore asked Paul van Gelder to conduct a qualitative study. "Transvestites" are men who present themselves to customers in women's clothes. Transgender people have not (yet) received gender reassignment treatment. Male-to-female "transsexuals" have or are working on it.
2008,
Dutch,
Paul van Gelder,
Original title: "Travestie in Nederland en Vlaanderen" (Travesty in the Netherlands and Flanders) by Paul Vennix.
Cross-dressing is usually different from what people are presented with in the media. Most transvestites keep it jealously hidden from their surroundings and certainly don't go out in a dress. They dare not show who they are.
In this transgender study, in which nearly five hundred transvestites from the Netherlands and Flanders participated, transvestism is examined in depth from various angles. Extensive attention is paid to what wearing women's clothing means for transvestites; cross-dressing turns out to be necessary for them.
1997,
Dutch,
Paul Vennix,
Original title: "Handboekje voor de transseksuele vrouw haar entourage en voor belangstellenden" (Handbook for the transsexual woman and her entourage and for interested parties) by Che Dansart.
"Not published as a paper book. Towards a deeper insightful understanding of the transition path from man to woman.
About the psychological experience of transsexuality with special attention to the intertwining of gender experience with the experience of sexuality and sexual orientation. From despair to inner strength, unity and happiness on our way and practical hints through the transition.
Transsexual Che Dansart, now female, was born male; she underwent gender reassignment surgery and during the process she gathered a wealth of knowledge and experience that she wrote down in the book HANDBOOK for the transsexual woman – her entourage and for stakeholders.
For 54 years, the Belgian transsexual Che Dansart walked around in a man's body. A man who had built a career, a fairly well-known filmmaker. Yet Che threw everything into becoming a woman. “As a man I was wise, respected, so to speak. I know others can't really understand it. But transsexuality is something that gnaws at you, like an irresistible drive that you will do anything for at some point.”
2010,
Belgium,
Che Dansart,
Dutch,
"Dilemma: Verandering van sekse" (Dilemma: Change of sex) is the Dutch 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."
1975,
Dutch,
Georges Burou,
Jan Morris,
Original title: "Genderkinderen: geboren in het verkeerde lichaam" (Gender children: Born in the wrong body) by Sarah Wong and Ellen de Visser.
"Through Sarah Wong's beautiful, moving photographs and Ellen Visser's poignant writing, this book provides the first insight into what it really feels like to be born in the wrong body, both for cross-gender children and their families."
"Despite the unimaginable problem they have been faced with since a very young age, we see fun, confident, strong children, committed families and proud parents and grandparents who deal with the situation very openheartedly. Some are symbolically mounted atop a powerful horse while others shyly touch the breasts of a mannequin."
2011,
Dutch,
Ellen de Visser,
Sarah Wong,
Original title: "Transformatie in een relatie" (Transformation in a relationship) by Marlies de Koster and Marian de Koster.
This autobiography shows how the two completely different worlds of Paul and Marlies come together in one person. After years of secrecy, Marlies is no longer able to suppress her feelings. She decides to tell her wife and children that she feels like a woman. They go into transition together.
In addition, Marian, Marlies' wife, gives a glimpse into her life in the period before and after the revelation. The transition puts the family on a rollercoaster of emotions. They face difficult, life-defining choices.
2020,
Dutch,
Marian de Koster,
Marlies de Koster,
Original title: "Mijn vrouw was nooit een meisje: Transgender notities" (My wife was never a girl: Transgender notes) by Janis Wagemans.
Renate Stoute wrote an autobiographical novel in the late nineties about her transition from man to woman. Her partner Janis Wagemans also wrote about that beautiful, but often frustrating road to completion. In search of her (bisexual) identity, she mainly embraces her lesbian coming out, in a period when Renate is still 'locked down'.
"In 1997, I started writing about my love's transition. What that meant to me as a boy girl who had just come out of the closet twenty years earlier. When she became physically more and more 'locked', my gaze and desire opened up more. It offered additional challenges in our almost symbiotic relationship, in which there was no place for real cheating."
2022,
Dutch,
Janis Wagemans,
Renate Stoute,
René Stoute,
Original title: "I am a woman now" by Daniëlle Serdijn and Michiel van Erp.
When gynecologist Georges Burou opens a practice in Casablanca in 1956 where men can undergo a sex change, his name quickly spreads around the world. The famous French Marie-Pierre Pruvot "Bambi", the Flemish Corinne Van Tongerloo, the flamboyant British April Ashley, the German Jean Lessenich, and the Dutch Colette Berends: they all undertook the journey to Casablanca and the illegal practice of Burou.
In the autumn of their lives, they look back. Do these pioneers feel completely female? Did their choice bring the expected satisfaction? After the sensational film by Michiel van Erp, this fantastic book is published.
2012,
April Ashley,
Bambi,
Corinne Van Tongerloo,
Daniëlle Serdijn,
Dutch,
Georges Burou,
Jean Lessenich,
Marie-Pier Ysser,
Marie-Pierre Pruvot,
Michiel van Erp,
Original title: "Transgender in Nederland: Een buitengewone geschiedenis" (Transgender in The Netherlands: An extraordinary history) by Alex Baker.
In the fifties and sixties, transgender people still had to be grateful if a psychiatrist did not admit them to an institution or administer electroshock; Nowadays, transgender people are often seen as inspiring, courageous people who dare to be themselves.
How the image has changed so much, historian Alex Bakker explains in this book in a clear and involved way. Six decades of physical treatment options, social opinions, legal entanglements, and shifting identities are reviewed. Bakker brings his story to life through the many poignant stories of transgender people, from old pioneers to children and teenagers.
The Netherlands was a forerunner in organizing assistance for transgender people. However, it still has a reputation to uphold worldwide when it comes to social acceptance, scientific research, and medical expertise in this field.
2018,
Alex Baker,
Dutch,
Netherlands,
Original title: "Soefies en transgenders: Kinderen van een betere God" (Sufis and transgenders: Children of a better God) by Wilma van der Maten.
Pakistani transgender Inaya applied for political asylum in the Netherlands in 2017 after her father threatened to kill her in an act of 'honor killing'. Both culture and religion do not accept such sinners. Yet in the ancient Indus civilization five thousand years ago there was great respect for transgender women called hijras. They guarded the harems of the Muslim princes (between 1526-1858).
Under colonial British rule, discrimination began. But in the holy tombs of the Sufis, these outcasts are hailed as 'children of Allah'. Transsexuals are closest to the genderless God.
"No one is good or bad. Oh God, bless humanity," wrote Bulleh Shah (1680-1757), one of the greatest Sufis Pakistan ever produced. With his romantic poems and songs, he tried to teach his followers that there is more to life than just your gender.
The Pakistani transgender Inaya applied for asylum in the Netherlands in 2017 and received it. Her story is covered in the book.
2018,
Dutch,
Wilma van der Maten,
"Stephanie. Ik ben een bijzondere vrouw. De autobiografie van een transseksueel" (Stephanie. I'm a special woman. The autobiography of a transsexual) is the Dutch language edition of "Stephanie: A Girl in a Million" (1988) by Stephanie Anne Lloyd.
"This is Stephanie’s autobiography. It tells the story of Stephanie Anne Lloyd, the founder of Transformation and one of the first openly transgender women to speak out about the struggles and achievements of someone who is openly transgender.
At the age of 68, I have lived just over 50% of my life as a woman and the other half as a man. If women knew how much easier it is for men I am sure there would be a revolution. Hopefully, this very personal and honest account will give a unique perspective of the real differences between the sexes and also make the path of those who follow in my footsteps somewhat easier in these more enlightened times.
1991,
Dutch,
Stephanie Anne Booth,
Stephanie Anne Lloyd,
Original title: "Aaïcha: het bizarre conflict van een als man geboren vrouw" (Aaïcha: the bizarre conflict of a woman born as a man) by Ab Pruis and Aaïcha Bergamin.
I came across this book and its review through a fantastic website dedicated to the Dutch LGBT community.
"Aaïcha Bergamin was born Leonhard Bergamin in 1932. As a seventeen-year-old, she danced in Amsterdam in her sister's clothes. When her mother caught her with a Jamaican dancer at that time, she was forcibly admitted to a psychiatric institution in Heiloo. According to the doctors, she was a gay man with a trauma. "They just laughed at me when I told them I felt like a woman." Nevertheless, the doctors believed that a years-long trajectory of therapies and electroshocks could cure her."
1991,
Aaïcha Bergamin,
Ab Pruis,
Dutch,
"Ik ben mijn eigen vrouw: Een leven" (I am my own wife: A life) is the Dutch language edition of "Ich bin meine eigene Frau" (1992) by Charlotte von Mahlsdorf.
"A soft-spoken transvestite wanting nothing more than to live as a hausfrau, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf instead was caught up in the most harrowing dramas of 20th century Europe, surviving both the Nazis and the Communists.
I Am My Own Wife is her exquisitely written autobiography where she reveals her lifelong pursuit of sexual liberty. The memoirs of a transvestite Berliner, the story of the wonderful Gründerzeit museum, a look at German culture from the point of view of a permanent outsider, Charlotte’s tale, like her life, is a surprising and provocative weave of sex, politics, and history."
1994,
Charlotte von Mahlsdorf,
Crossdressing,
Dutch,
"Tula: Ik ben een vrouw" (Tula: I am a woman) is the Dutch language edition of "Tula: I am a Woman" (1982) by Caroline Cossey.
She is one of the most iconic figures in the history of the transgender movement. She is also one of my biggest inspirations. This is her first memoir, published in 1982.
Caroline Cossey is a British model who often worked under the name Tula, which she also used for two memoirs. She appeared in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. Following her appearance in the film, she was outed as transgender by the British tabloid News of the World. In 1991, she became the first trans woman to pose for Playboy.
1982,
Caroline Cossey,
Dutch,
Tula,
Original title: "Wordt mijn zoon mijn dochter?" (Will my son be my daughter?) by Leah Maas.
"In this book, a mother describes the life of her child, who was born as a boy. You read the ups and downs, the whole transition process of her child, and what they faced as a family.
Also what went easy, the good and not so good times. Her child's life has not been about roses. Together they fought to get to where they are today."
Original title: "Uit een oude jas vol stenen: de geboorte van een vrouw" (From An Old Coat Full of Stones: The birth of a woman) by Renate Stoute.
In the book, Renate Stoute sheds light on the history of support for the transgender community in the Netherlands, the solidarity, the disinterest from the feminist camp, the discrimination, the coming out of trans women and the slowly changing attitude of the outside world. But above all, she tells the harrowing history of her own identity.
1999,
Dutch,
Renate Stoute,
René Stoute,
Original title: "Man of vrouw, min of meer: Gesprekken over een niet-gangbare sekse" (Male or female, more or less: Conversations about a non-common gender) by Tim de Jong. The book was published in 1999 and republished in 2017.
Transgender people have become more visible in recent years. Nowadays, most people know a trans woman or transman from the TV or in their own environment. People who change gender are becoming more and more accepted. There are also people for whom both male / female boxes fit badly, which is less known. The variety of gender identities is much broader than is often assumed.
In this book, a diverse group of people speak. They talk about the limitations they experience as a result of the sex division, and about the path they have taken to shape a gender identity that is 'different'. In addition to the life stories, experts give their views on the shifting views on gender, in which the classical dichotomy increasingly has to give way to gender diversity.
1999,
Dutch,
Tim de Jong,
Original title: "Van Dirk naar Diede: eindelijk thuis!: Het transgenderverhaal van Diede" (From Dirk to Diede: finally home!: The transgender story of Diede).
Diede describes how she already felt as a child that something was not right. Candid and vulnerable, she tells how she discovered her true identity and tried to live by it.
But it is also about how difficult it is to come out into the open as a transgender person. It is a story of doubting and searching, fear and daring, but also of finding and being happy. And about being 'Finally home!'.
2019,
Diede Meyvis,
Dutch,
Original title: "Wij zijn ik" (We are me) by Leah Maas.
The book is the contituation of the story presented by Leah Maas in 2015 in "Wordt mijn zoon mijn dochter?" (Will my son be my daughter?), where the mother describes the life and transition of her child, who was born as a boy.
The book is written in diary form, which allows the reader to get acquainted with the life of trans daughter Loena Maas and the journey she makes together with her parents in the most intimate detail.
