Each chapter covers a different aspect of trans history, and is written by a different author. You get a variety of perspectives – some trans, some not – and it has a lot of previously unknown-to-me information about the history of trans people.

I knew fragments, but not the whole story. It covers topics like support groups, medical treatment, legal cases and activism. (The sections are “Survival”, “Activism”, and “Growth”.) It’s a part of my own history I didn’t know before, so I’m glad to have read it. I particularly enjoyed the parts about the growth of non-binary identities, which is very relevant to me.

Every chapter was well-written, easy to read. I read a couple of chapters at a time, then paused to reflect on what I’d read.

Although a lot of the history is unpleasant reading, there’s an upbeat tone from all the authors – a sense that things are getting better, it’s getting easier, Britain is becoming more supportive of trans people. That’s good to hear!

And one surprise: apparently Wellcome funded workshops to explore gender identity in trans youth over a decade ago? 😲

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