Transgender Biographies

Stacy Jane Grover - Tar Hollow Trans: Essays

Full title: "Tar Hollow Trans: Essays (Appalachian Futures Black Native & Queer Voices)" by Stacy Jane Grover.

"Raised in southeast Ohio, Stacy Jane Grover would not describe her upbringing as "Appalachian." Appalachia existed farther afield―more rural, more country than the landscape of her hometown. Grover returned to the places of her childhood to reconcile her identity and experience with the culture and the people who had raised her.

She began to reflect on her memories and discovered that group identities like Appalachian and transgender are linked by more than just the stinging brand of social otherness. In Tar Hollow Trans, Grover explores her transgender experience through common Appalachian cultural traditions.

Full title: "Christine Jorgensen: The Power of Transgender Visibility (Transgender Empowerment Book 4)" by Leigh Goodwin.

"Christine Jorgensen is known as the Army GI that became a Beauty Queen in the early 1950s. She was an early open transgender woman, an early transgender advocate and she set a good example of work ethic for transgender people. Suffering from classic gender dysphoria, she was not the first to receive sexual reassignment surgery but was one of the first Americans to receive her surgeries supplemented with hormone replacement therapy medication. As is sometimes common with goal of obtaining sexual reassignment surgeries Miss Jorgensen had to travel abroad to receive some surgical treatments. Christine Jorgensen played a major role in helping to create transgender visibility by her openness about her gender identity in both her professional and her personal life."

Full title: "Geena Rocero: Biography of a Transgender Model, Advocate, and Entrepreneur" by Muse Publishing.

"Step into Geena's world as she takes you on a transformative voyage from her humble beginnings in Manila, Philippines, to the dazzling runways of the fashion industry. With raw honesty and unwavering courage, she recounts the challenges she faced as a transgender woman, navigating a society often resistant to change.

Uncover the pivotal moment when Geena Rocero bravely stepped onto the TED stage and delivered her groundbreaking talk, shattering barriers and catalyzing a global movement. Witness her unyielding dedication to advocating for transgender rights, championing authenticity, and challenging societal norms.

Full title: "Becoming Gia: My Transgender Story" by Gia Watson.

"Becoming Gia is a personal Transgender story of the Author. The story of self-discovery covers the beginning of the author's story, accepting themselves, coming out, changes and so many other things that occur in a Trans Woman's life. Prep for surgery, the actual surgery, recovery and complications are also detailed, along with Gia's struggle to accept herself and fighting the depression and dysphoria brought upon by today's political climate where Trans people are having to fight for their rights. The story holds nothing back in discussing personal and even intimate steps of this journey."

"Gia Watson was born Graham Watson in Glasgow, Scotland in 1975. She grew up a boy attending Kirkintilloch High School and then Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, where most of her time was spent goofing off. After college, she began work on her first book - The Chosen One, about 13 years ago. Over the years, the idea and the book itself saw many changes and redrafts. It was August 2015 before she accepted she was Transgender."

Full title: "The Ultimate Fish: My life with a transsexual hooker in Honolulu’s Chinatown, a love story" by Jerry Hopkins.

"Easily one of the most unusual and moving love stories out there, this honest and insightful portrait of an unforgettable woman who lived life on her own terms right up to the last drink is meticulously and unflinchingly told. With the skill that his readers have come to expect, Jerry Hopkins shows the transsexual world and the people who live there, in careful and deeply affectionate detail."

"I knew Vanessa she had a soul full of life. And she lived, played, and partied hard. The writer captured her true essence. Vanessa was a free-spirited person. Funny witty and serious. This is a must-read. The book gives a total view of the struggle of transgender females."

Full title: "Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman" by Leslie Feinberg.

"This groundbreaking book - far ahead of its time when first published in 1996 and still galvanizing today—interweaves history, memoir, and gender studies to show that transgender people, far from being a modern phenomenon, have always existed and have exerted their influence throughout history.

Leslie Feinberg - hirself a lifelong transgender revolutionary - reveals the origin of the check-one-box-only gender system and shows how zie found empowerment in the lives of transgender warriors around the world, from the Two Spirits of the Americas to the many genders of India, from the trans shamans of East Asia to the gender-bending Queen Nzinga of Angola, from Joan of Arc to Marsha P. Johnson and beyond."

Full title: "Outrageous Misfits: Female Impersonator Craig Russell and His Wife, Lori Russell Eadie" by Brian Bradley.

"Craig Russell was an internationally admired entertainer and actor, known for his outrageous impersonations of some of Hollywood's greatest female celebrities: Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Carol Channing, and Judy Garland, to name a few. Lori Russell Eadie, a shy theatre lover, was Craig's No. 1 fan and, eventually, his wife. Together they were fun, fabulous, and eschewed convention. But behind the curtains, Craig and Lori's lives were troubled by their mental health, drug addiction, sexual assault, and abuse. Through nearly one hundred interviews and extensive research, Outrageous Misfits reveals the life and legacy of one of the world's most popular female impersonators and his biggest fan."

Full title: "In Transition: A Transgender Pre-op Journey" by Trystlynn Barber.

"A literary memoir highlighting many of the most commonly encountered obstacles and trials in the "coming out" for a male to female transgender woman. Included are chapters on repression, coming out to friends and family, psychotherapy, hormone replacement therapy, laser hair removal, passability. coming out at work, the legal name and gender marker change, and voice training.

Also included are excerpts of other real-life events which occurred during the process, involving self-harm, suicide, and familial and societal rejection. Written in a compelling, intriguing, and informative manner."

"Ein schädlicher Einfluss: Die wahre Geschichte eines netten jüdischen Knaben, der bei Scientology landete und zwölf Jahre später zu der hinreißenden Lady ... ist. Mein mutiges Leben" is the German language edition of "A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The True Story of a Nice Jewish Boy Who Joins the Church of Scientology and Leaves Twelve Years Later to Become the Lovely Lady She is Today" by Kate Bornstein.

"In the early 1970s, a boy from a Conservative Jewish family joined the Church of Scientology. In 1981, that boy officially left the movement and ultimately transitioned into a woman. A few years later, she stopped calling herself a woman—and became a famous gender outlaw.

Gender theorist, performance artist, and author Kate Bornstein is set to change lives with her stunningly original memoir. Wickedly funny and disarmingly honest, this is Bornstein's most intimate book yet, encompassing her early childhood and adolescence, college at Brown, a life in the theater, three marriages and fatherhood, the Scientology hierarchy, transsexual life, LGBTQ politics, and life on the road as a sought-after speaker."

Full title: "Biography of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy: The Transgender Activist Who Changed The World" by Rose Ink Publication.

"Miss Major is a trailblazing transgender activist who has spent her life fighting for the rights and dignity of marginalized communities. Her story is one of incredible resilience, courage, and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

In this book, you'll learn about Miss Major's journey from growing up in the Jim Crow South to becoming a leader in the Stonewall uprising and beyond. You'll hear firsthand accounts of her experiences fighting for trans rights and the intersectionality of all marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color. But this isn't just a story of activism and social justice - it's a story of love, family, and the power of community. Miss Major's unwavering commitment to building a better world is an inspiration to us all, and her story will leave you feeling motivated to make a difference in your own community."

"Nattdjur" (Nocturnal animal) is the Swedish language edition of "Las malas" (The Bad Girls) published in Argentina in 2019 by Camila Sosa Villada.

From the Argentine author Camila Sosa Villada, a book of love and affection: when we finish the last page, we want the whole world to read it too! When she arrived in the city of Córdoba to study at the university, Argentine author Camila Sosa Villada decided to go to Parque Sarmiento during the night. She was scared to death, thinking that the brutal verdict she had heard from her father could come to fruition at any moment: "One day they will knock on this door to warn me that they found you dead, thrown into a ditch." For him, this was the only possible destination for a boy who dressed as a woman.

Full title: "The Road to Me - A Transgender Journey: Part 1 of The Megoir" by Meghan Buell, James Whitehead, and Evelyn Whitehead.

"The Road to Me is a collection of personal stories from the author. They chronicle some of the events that led up to, and followed their decision to gender transition later in life. The stories will make you laugh and make you cry, but most importantly they will make you think about our own journeys through this thing called life. The author hopes you enjoy the book."

"Meghan Buell is a life-long resident of Indiana. She has been a leader in the transgender community locally, regionally and nationally. She has served on nonprofit boards, transgender advisory committees and is a regular collegiate guest lecturer. Meghan began Trees, Inc., a non-profit organisation, as a way to "pay it forward" to the transgender community after living and transitioning in a small town environment and successfully traversing the challenges."

Available via Amazon

and webetrees.org

Original title: "Wiebke werden II: Teil II des Tagebuchs einer noch überwiegend männlichen Person, die sich mit Trans- Themen und dem weiblicher werden befasst (Sep. 2020 - Dez. 2020)" (Becoming Wiebke II: A still mostly male person’s diary dealing with trans issues and progression into being more female) by Wiebke ter Lichten.

"This is the second part of my diary and I recommend starting with the first part if you haven't done so already. As of December 31st, 2020, I am a 54-year-old father of a now 15-year-old son, a single parent for the last thirteen years. Since we live together there is still only little time for me to be Wiebke, my female persona, at home.

I still need to be cautious. You will read about my progression since the end of my first published diary part. From the fact alone, that it took me 19 months to write that first part and under four months to write a second part with a comparable size you can deduce that the speed in which Wiebke develops has increased manifold."

Full title: "In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life" by Amy Schneider.

"In eighth grade, Amy was voted “Most likely to appear on Jeopardy!” by her classmates. Decades later, this trailblazer finally got her chance. Not only did she walk away with $1.3 million while captivating the world with her impressive forty-game winning streak, but she made history and won an even greater prize - the joy of being herself on national television and blazing a trail for openly queer and transgender people around the world.

Now, she shares her singular journey that led to becoming an unlikely icon and hero to millions. Her super power: Boundless curiosity and fearless questioning. "In the Form of a Question explores some of the innumerable topics that have fascinated Amy throughout her life - books and music, Tarot and astrology, popular culture and computers, sex and relationships - but they all share the same purpose: to illustrate, and celebrate, the results of a lifetime spent asking, why?"

Full title: "We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film" by Tre'vell Anderson.

"WE SEE EACH OTHER is a personal history of trans visibility since the beginning of moving images. A literary reckoning, it unearths a transcestry that’s long existed in plain sight and in the shadows of history’s annals, and further contextualizes our present moment of increased representation.

The films and television show that Tre’vell covers include: Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, Psycho, Holiday Heart, Boy’s Don’t Cry, America’s Next Top Model, Some Like It Hot, Survivor, Tangerine, Pose, RuPaul's Drag Race and much more. Though there have been trans memoirs and histories, there has never been a book quite like this, nor is anyone more suited to write it than Tre’vell. “I don’t remember exactly when I was taught to hate myself," says Tre’vell Anderson in We See Each Other's introduction. As the narrative unfolds, Tre'vell knits together the history of trans people on screen with stories of their life growing up and their formative experiences as a Black, trans journalist."

Full title: "My Transgender Journey: Short Autobiography about the author" by Tiffani Parker.

"This is a very short autobiography about bestselling Author Tiffani Parker. In this never before told story it tells about her own life and inspiration for all of her work. Written By the author herself. If I sell over 100 copies of this book I will follow up with a more in-depth personal book including childhood pictures and before and after pictures of me as both a male and female. This is a very rough sketch about my life with a picture of myself on the cover."

"Tiffani Parker is an accomplished author who has dedicated her craft to writing books that inspire and uplift transgender individuals and their loved ones. With a passion for storytelling, Tiffani weaves narratives that explore the unique experiences and challenges faced by transgender individuals and their families, while also offering hope, understanding, and empowerment. Driven by her desire to create positive representation and shed light on transgender issues, Tiffani's works capture the intricacies of gender identity and the transformative journeys of her characters."

Full title: "Behind Enemy Lines" by Nichol Collins.

"In her riveting autobiography, Nichol Collins shares transparently about her life. Once a transgender lesbian and drug dealer affiliated with gangs in Los Angeles, California; her lifestyle was a complete shock to her mother who raised her in church. Known by the nickname "Esko" in the streets, she gained notoriety among her peers. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Esko lived a life that spelled out PARTY & PERVERSION.

Her abuse of drugs and alcohol caused her to live in a constant fog. She hung out with celebrities, "down low men," and held a high-ranking position in an underground gay society called "Houses" that will astonish her readers. Your heart will pound as you live through her close calls with death, worldly excursions, and demonic forces assigned to assassinate her. She had rebelled against everything instilled in her from childhood. However, she lived in fear of missing the return of the Lord. In spite of her disobedience, God showed mercy toward her. She walked out alive with the devil's secrets."

Full title: "Stranger in the Mirror: The Search For Me" by Erin LeBlanc.

"This memoir provides amplified inspiration of resilience for anyone moving through adversity. Erin LeBlanc describes the highs and lows of her journey of self-discovery, putting the pieces of the puzzle that is her life together to form her authentic self. She shares knowledge, tools, and practices as an emotional survival guide based on her experience for those living with Gender Dysphoria, their family and friends, supporters and allies, and the transgender and LGBTQ+ community. As a human advocate, Erin shows the world how to take the stigma out of transitioning while showing up committing to living life as her authentic self."

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."

Full title: "Transister: Raising Twins in a Gender-bending World" by Kate Brookes.

"Transister is the story of a family in transition. Not a prescriptive narrative but an affirming one. A raw, honest, sometimes humorous account of author Kate Brookes’s journey as her young child grapples with gender identity and becomes her authentic self. Brookes has longed to become a mother for as long as she can remember. And for almost as long, she has harbored a fierce determination to parent her children differently―better―than her own mentally ill mom parented her. To create the “normal” family she’s always wished for.

And when she gives birth to twins after two years of fertility struggles, she is, admittedly, hugely relieved that she’s found herself with two boys. There will be no need for her, a decidedly un-girly girl, to braid hair, buy Barbie dolls, or pick out party dresses for her kids. Boys. Easy. Right? But by the time her twins are eight, Brookes has had two realizations: 1) her obstetrician’s “it’s another boy” announcement was flat-out wrong, and 2) there is no such thing as a “normal” family―and that’s a beautiful thing."

Full title: "Maeve Rising: Coming Out Trans in Corporate America" by Maeve DuVally.

"In this searingly honest LGBTQ+ memoir, Maeve DuVally tells the story of coming out transgender in one of the most high-profile financial institutions in America, Goldman Sachs. When Maeve DuVally came out as a transgender woman while working as a corporate communications manager at one of the most renowned financial institutions in America, she knew she couldn’t do it quietly. She was, after all, the face of Goldman Sachs.

DuVally intimately documents her struggle to be herself in this environment, initially keeping her identity a secret with wardrobe changes in the lobby bathroom after work. Eventually she declares herself and, to her surprise, Goldman Sachs embraces the effort. Surgery follows. When DuVally finally takes those first steps on heels through the corridors of this institution on the way to her first meeting with her team as a woman, the reader cheers. A New York Times story helped DuVally realize she could become a role model for other transgender people in corporations and branded Goldman Sachs as a model for corporations assisting their transitioning employees."

Original title: "Keinen Millimeter zurück!" (Not a millimeter back!) by Isabelle Ulrich.

A book about my entire path to today's happiness. Written out of conviction. It is a novel, but also a guide and source of ideas. This path will not be an easy one, this path will be rocky and difficult. (Xavier Naidoo)

I SAY NO! This path is a release from a birth defect whose torments will never stop if you don't change it. I suppressed it all the way to the bridge. But it would have been wrong to take that path down there! I decided to correct the mistake and did it successfully! No one around me had a right to condemn my path. It wasn't condemned in a big way either. On the contrary, nowadays there are people with a lot of admiration. Admiration for the path to freedom!!!

I wish, whoever, a lot of fun reading. For people with the same initial difficulties: self-confidence can be learned. Take the tips with you and don't be afraid of the next corner! My path has worked and I am one of the happiest people in the world! Whether privately or professionally! The jump from the bridge would definitely have been the wrong direction. Life is fantastic! Steer it in the right direction!!!

Full title: "Craig Russell and His Ladies" by David Street.

The book portrays the story of Russell Craig Eadie (1948-1990), also known as Craig Russell, a Canadian female impersonator and actor. Craig was the President of Mae West's fan club as a teenager and Craig pursued her career as a stage entertainer performing in Toronto gay clubs and touring Las Vegas, Hollywood, San Francisco, Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Sydney.

According to Wikipedia, Russell's celebrity impersonations included Carol Channing, Bette Davis, Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Tallulah Bankhead, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Midler, Anita Bryant, Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee and Judy Garland. In 1977, Russell starred in the film Outrageous!, based on a short story written by Margaret Gibson about their time as roommates. A decade later, in 1987, Russell starred in a sequel to Outrageous!, titled Too Outrageous!.

Full title: "She Persisted: Rachel Levine" by Lisa Bunker.

"As the first openly transgender government official to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation, the first openly transgender four-star officer in uniform service, and the first female four-star admiral in the commissioned corps, Rachel Levine faced many obstacles throughout her life. But she persisted through them all and showed kids of all genders that they can succeed in their dreams too.

In this chapter book biography by critically acclaimed author Lisa Bunker, readers learn about the amazing life of Rachel Levine--and how she persisted. Complete with an introduction from Chelsea Clinton, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and a list of ways that readers can follow in Rachel Levine's footsteps and make a difference! A perfect choice for kids who love learning and teachers who want to bring inspiring women into their curriculum."

Full title: "My Face for the World to See: The Diaries, Letters, and Drawings of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar" by Candy Darling.

"Self-invention, or rather, reinvention is at the heart of much gay culture. Being told that you should not be who you are encourages you to become someone else. But few gay men have self-invented with the panache and grandiloquence of James Lawrence Slatterly, who metamorphosed into the fabulous Andy Warhol superstar Candy Darling. Taking his/her cues from Lana Turner, Kim Novak, and Gloria Graham, Candy Darling became a walking testament to Hollywood womanhood.

Although she appeared in several Warhol films before her early death in 1974, Candy Darling didn't need theatrical vehicles: she lived her life as a star. My Face for the World to See is a collection of her diaries, drawings, and thoughts. While there is nothing profound, the book is a moving record of a life and imagination that illuminated the cultural landscape and burned brightly and too short."

Original title: "Mann er da kvinne" (Male is then female) by Marion Arntzen and Kari Kahrs.

After the Golden Route winning TV series of the same name, "Jentene på Toten" became a concept. Stensveen resource center at Kapp, run by Marion Arntzen and her husband Harald Sundby, has for 14 years supported many transgender people in living as who they define themselves as.

After the TV series, the whole of Norway got to experience what it means that all people have the right to define themselves. The girls at Toten received the Homofryd Award 2010. Marion and Harald were awarded the YS Gender Equality Award 2010. In Male is then Woman, we meet transgender people who are at different places in their processes. In diary form, they tell of the struggle to understand themselves, their joys and sorrows. Man is then woman is a unique story about individuals who fight to be able to respect themselves and to be respected for who they are.

Original title: "うらやましい人生" (Enviable Life) by Mits Mangrove (ミッツ・マングローブ).

From Shuhei Tokumitsu, a boy who longed for being "normal" more than anyone else, to Mits Mangrove, a Japanese singer, drag queen on stage, and TV personality in various programs, a member of the drag queen trio called Stardust Scat.

In March 2011, she made her long-awaited CD debut with "Young is Wonderful". In parallel with her solo singing career, she made her CD debut as a member of Stardust Scat. The book covers her great career, studying abroad in London, cross-dressing, romance, music, and stories from the entertainment world.

Full title: "Drag Queen of Scots: The Dos and Dont's of a Drag Superstar" by Lawrence Chaney.

"Lawrence Chaney is a testament to the strength that comes from drag. Lawrence (Drag) Queen of Scots celebrates the little boy learning to sew at age seven and his journey to taking the UK by storm. From growing up as the gay class clown and being bullied to finding an outlet in performance and drag, celebrating both his outer curves and inner beauty.

The book will showcase valuable life lessons and tricks of the trade, all told in Chaney's trademark charming style, and will resonate with anyone who holds dreams and aspirations that are bigger than the town they grew up in."

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Stacy Jane Grover - Tar Hollow Trans: Essays

Leigh Goodwin - Christine Jorgensen: The Power of...

Muse Publishing - Geena Rocero: Biography of a Transgender...

Gia Watson - Becoming Gia: My Transgender Story

Jerry Hopkins - The Ultimate Fish

Leslie Feinberg - Transgender Warriors

Brian Bradley - Outrageous Misfits

Trystlynn Barber - In Transition: A Transgender Pre-op Journey

Kate Bornstein - Ein schädlicher Einfluss

Rose Ink Publication - Biography of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy

Camila Sosa Villada - Nattdjur

Meghan Buell - The Road to Me: A Transgender Journey: Part 1

Wiebke ter Lichten - Wiebke werden II

Amy Schneider - In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards...

Tre'vell Anderson - We See Each Other

Tiffani Parker - My Transgender Journey

Nichol Collins - Behind Enemy Lines

Erin LeBlanc - Stranger in the Mirror: The Search For Me

Kyle Mewburn - Faking It: My Life in Transition

Kate Brookes - Transister: Raising Twins in a Gender-bending World

Maeve DuVally - Maeve Rising: Coming Out Trans in Corporate...

Isabelle Ulrich - Keinen Millimeter zurück!

David Street - Craig Russell and His Ladies

Lisa Bunker - She Persisted: Rachel Levine

Candy Darling - My Face for the World to See

M. Arntzen & K. Kahrs - Mann er da kvinne

Mits Mangrove - Urayamashī Jinsei

Lawrence Chaney - Drag Queen of Scots

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