A review by bargainbinkazbrekker
Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam

as someone who’s trans, wants to become a history teacher, and whose always been delving into researching trans and queer histories, this was a fascinating read for me. It was a unique way of thinking and looking at history and the modern labels and definitions that can prevent possible histories from being found and explored. Researching trans and queer histories, one is always met with “we can’t know for sure so we should officially label them as queer” which is a frustrating approach and this novel tore away some of that stigma. My main qualm is that the language isn’t the most accessible and can be confusing in parts. It’s unfortunate because they’re aren’t many well known books about trans history, and there are few to known that are accessible enough for broader audiences. I’m not sure if i’ll rate this just because i can’t really find a rating i’m satisfied with. I would recommend this to people who feel as though they’re able to tackle the kind of language and writing style that is found in more academic/nonfiction writing and for those who don’t need a clear cut answer.