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Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'
Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam
13 reviews
lbelow's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This is the kind of book that for years I have been looking for. It looks at the past with an openness that reflects the breadth of the trans experience. Rather than pointing to a list of people who meet certain criteria, the author expounds on the trends and situations of the past and the multi-layered reasons for acting in gender-nonconforming ways—from the economic and social/political in Western/European history to reasons intrinsically tied with sexuality, (non-white) culture, and spirituality. I may not have finished this book with a laundry list of definitely trans figures, but I'm left with a buoying feeling that people like me have always existed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Minor: Ableism, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, and Dysphoria
leweylibrary's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I DEVOURED this in one sitting so 🙌 As a history major in college, I appreciate this book and how it approaches trans history so much. Obviously the language we have now was not always around, but that doesn't mean trans people were not. I appreciate how the author explains so many of the flaws in how we study history--needing hard proof of someone's queerness and considering them cis by default unless proven otherwise and how hard that is to do. I appreciate that this book really is an exploration of gender nonconformity across many cultures, races, etc. Not only was the research and everything else about the content fantastic, but I loved how it was structured (issue-based more than chronological). This book has me thinking a lot about a recent book I read about women rulers of the past bending gender and their reasons for doing so, and I love it when I can make connections like that. I feel quite strongly that everyone should read this book and hopefully have a better understanding not just of trans people and their history but also of how we have looked at gender in the past, present, and future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Outing
Minor: Biphobia, Deadnaming, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Lesbophobia
bookmark3brodi's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, and Classism