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: "Life in Lashes: The Story of a Drag Superstar" by Kita Mean.
"Hailing from a sleepy eastern suburb of Auckland, Nick Nash grew up feeling like he stood out for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't until he experimented with the art of drag that he found freedom in his fierce and confident alter-ego, Kita Mean.
From wild nights partying like there was no tomorrow, to scrounging together delightfully camp costumes on a shoestring budget, buying an iconic cabaret bar with bestie Anita Wigl'it, and competing on the global stage alongside Kiwi and Aussie drag legends in the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, Kita shares behind-the-scenes goss and important life lessons - many learned the hard way - about fighting your demons and being proud of your most authentic self.
Bursting with outrageous style and cheek, Life in Lashes is a memoir of a lost boy who found salvation as a drag queen, learned to love herself, and went on to share her fabulousness with the world."
2022,
Drag queen,
English,
Kita Mean,
New Zealand,
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: "Georgina Beyer: New Zealand's First Transgender Member of Parliament; The last chapter" by Elizabeth J. Hawks.
"Beyer took an interest in local politics after moving to Carterton and returning to New Zealand. She initially succeeded in being elected to a local school board. She became the first transgender mayor in the world, the first female mayor of Carterton, the first Mori mayor in the Wairarapa area, and the first transgender person to be elected mayor when she was chosen in 1995.
Mark Blumsky, the mayor of Wellington at the time, said that she was "extremely competent at her job" in 1996. She won reelection in 1998 with 90% of the vote. Upon her election to the Parliament in 2000, she announced her resignation; in 2004, she said that it was one of her greatest regrets."
2023,
Elizabeth J. Hawks,
English,
Georgina Beyer,
New Zealand,
Full title: "To Thine Own Self be True: The Sea is a Jealous Mistress" by Denise Heather TilIing.
According to this review: "Denise Tilling writes of her transition from boyhood in wartime
England to womanhood in the 1990s New Zealand. It is a story of courage and determination: initially the determination to avoid cross-gendered feelings at almost any cost, and, finally, the determination
to live openly as a woman. A casual reader, who by-passed this book because of its uninviting cover and title, would certainly be missing out. Going beyond the cover and title, the reader encounters a story told with sensitivity, warmth and humour. In an age of ever-increasing public interest in transsexuality, this is perhaps the first transsexual autobiography to be published in New Zealand."
"Denise, born David, entertains the reader with David's endless efforts to avoid confronting his gender conflict from heavy drinking, through desperate attempts at marriage, and repeated escapes to sea. Despite being captivated by Denise's warmth and humour, one is frequently reminded of the deeper emotions at play. In re-calling her story, the author skilfully interweaves the jovial, playful aspects of her personality with intensely painful recollections: memories of fear, doubt and the deep loneliness which accompanies self-denial. As Denise's hormone treatment started to take visible effect, she knew that her life as a British Ship's Officer - one of the blokes,
always in for a few drinks and a laugh - was about to shatter. Ultimately, her decision to undergo gender transition and settle in New Zealand was spurred on by a tragedy. During one of David's earlier
shipping voyages, he had become friends with a Danish radio officer who, like David himself, secretly cross-dressed. David discovered their similarity too late..."
1997,
Denise Heather TilIing,
Denise TilIing,
English,
New Zealand,
Full title: "A Pictorial Transformation: Him to Her (Transsexual Transition Book 3)" by Racheal McGonigal.
"This is a pictorial diary of 70+ photos of Andrews's journey to Racheal/Storm. Watch for the smiles once Racheal arrived. The saying a picture is worth a thousand words is shown clearly in this pictorial diary."
In 2013, I interviewed Rachel and asked her about the book: "“Pictorial Transformation – Him to Her” is a collection of 70+ photos of my journey and shows it all. “The Transgender guide” is really just a small booklet designed for those who are first starting to ask basic questions. “Reflections” is a collection of articles I have written or have been written about me. Magazines, newspapers, Internet.
2012,
English,
New Zealand,
Racheal McGonigal,
Full title: "Carmen: My Life - As Told to Paul Martin"
Carmen Rupe's life story, from schoolboy to successful businesswoman. According to Wikipedia, Carmen Rupe (1936-2011), was a New Zealand drag performer, brothel keeper, and transgender activist, known for being New Zealand's first drag queen to reach celebrity status.
Taking the name of the gypsy flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, Rupe became the first Australian Maori to perform as a drag queen. She was arrested many times in New Zealand for wearing female clothes but without being prosecuted because being a drag queen was not illegal in that country.
In 1977, she ran for mayor of Wellington, with the support of local businessman Sir Bob Jones, with the campaign for the legalization of gay marriage and brothels, but she lost to Michael Fowler. She died in 2011 at the age of 75.
1988,
Carmen Rupe,
English,
New Zealand,
Full title: "The West Coast Has No Feral" by Denise Heather TilIing.
Denise Heather TilIing was born in 1938. She is the author of two biography books: "To Thine Own Self Be True" (1997) and "The West Coast Has No Feral" (2003).
In "To Thine Own Self Be True" (1997), Denise Tilling describes her birth and upbringing as David. Her escape to a sea life in 1956 was actually no escape at all. How after marriages and adventures, she faced up to her real self and embraced the woman within.
2003,
Denise Heather TilIing,
Denise TilIing,
English,
New Zealand,
Full title: "Change for the Better: The Story of Georgina Beyer as Told to Cathy Casey" by Georgina Beyer and Cathy Casey.
"George Bertrand was born in 1957, an ordinary boy who was to become an extraordinary woman. As he grew up, George realised he was a woman trapped inside a male body. Once he discovered that men could live as women, Georgina Beyer was born. This book follows that difficult rebirth, Georgina's time working in the sex industry in the 70s and 80s, a brutal rape in Sydney and her liberation by a sex change operation in 1984.
Since then, Georgina has achieved acclaim as an actress, including a nomination for a GOFTA award for best actress in 1987, has tutored unemployed youth in drama, was elected to the Carterton District Council in 1993, and became the first transsexual mayor in the world in 1995."
1999,
Cathy Casey,
English,
Georgina Beyer,
New Zealand,
Full title: "Summer Storm (Transsexual Transition Book 2)"
"Having become the City Girl, Racheal (Storm) had a lot to learn. Racheal went to Perth, Western Australia, where the adventure took off. Meeting Summer Bardot, a then preop TS working as an Escort (not illegal in NZ and Australia), Summer introduced Racheal into the sex industry, Storm was born.
Storm was Racheal's working name. Storm learnt about being a female, men sexually, clothes, hair, shoes, style, nails, and more as Summer's pupil.
Filled with sex, fun, drugs, lust, BDSM, travel, money, laughter, men, and sex again, they travelled an up-and-down road around Australia and New Zealand. Breaking up and getting back together. Alas, Storm's heart was broken in the end by Summer. A person with the biggest heart ever but alas also the biggest, liar, thief, and con-artist. The lies were incredible and unbelievable.
Alas OCP, NPD, and pathological liar - such a shame."
2012,
English,
New Zealand,
Racheal McGonigal,
Full title: "Country Boy to City Girl (Transsexual Transition Book 1)"
"The story of Racheal's life. Born a boy, Andrew, growing up as a typical kiwi kid through manhood always knowing there was something different but living up to society's expectations of a man. Leo meant a leader. Head boy at school, 1st XV Rugby team, a staunch front-row prop.
A pillar in communities, married and two children. then with the help of the internet, able to discover why there was a comfort in dressing in secret as a female. The trauma of coming out, Gender Reassignment Surgery in Thailand, and finally complete and happy at last.
Racheal was a city girl.
Now in the works of her surgeon, 'Her body matched her soul.'"
2012,
English,
New Zealand,
Racheal McGonigal,
Full title: "First Lady: From Boyhood to Womanhood: The incredible story of New Zealand's sex-change pioneer Liz Roberts"
"Liz Roberts is a Kiwi pioneer; the first person to undergo a full surgical sex change in New Zealand. This inspirational memoir tells the story of how, with the help of medical specialists working in previously uncharted territory, she changed her name, her sex and her legal status in the 1970s, freeing her to live a new life as a woman.
The little boy born Gary Roberts in 1950s Christchurch knew from his earliest years that he was different to the other boys. Gary overcame a violent childhood to train first as a florist, then a hairdresser. He moved to England and his talent as a couture clothing designer was spotted and encouraged. He released his own collection, which made headlines back in New Zealand. He also became sure that a permanent change of sexual identity was a real possibility and began treatment. It was Liz Roberts who returned to New Zealand.
2015,
Alison Mau,
English,
Liz Roberts,
New Zealand,
Full title: "A Life Lived Twice" by Allyson Hamblett.
"A Life Lived Twice is a compelling read because it bears witness to the struggles of disability and gender identity, as well as an incredible sense of celebration of being comfortable in one's skin in the face of society's prejudice and ignorance."
I interviewed Allyson in 2014 and this is what she shared with me: "I began my transition in 1998, but was trying to find support from 1996. I met several trans people over those years. CD Rom (now Agender) had started up in Wellington, but I was in the process of returning home to Auckland after studying at Victoria University, so was unable to attend. I found out about Hedesthia, which was a trans group in Auckland but discovered that was in the process of closing down. In 1997 I discovered the Pride Centre in Auckland which was in the very early stages of including trans people. I joined the board for 3 years.
2017,
Allyson Hamblett,
English,
New Zealand,
