An
accessible, bold new vision for the future of intersectional trans
feminism, called "one of the best books in trans studies in
recent years" by Susan Stryker
"A
beautifully written and argued book." - Torrey Peters, author of
Detransition, Baby
There
is no shortage of voices demanding everyone pay attention to the
violence trans women suffer. But one frighteningly basic question
seems never to be answered: why does it happen? If men are not
inherently evil and trans women do not intrinsically invite
reprisal--which would make violence unstoppable--then the psychology
of that violence had to arise at a certain place and time. The trans
panic had to be invented.
Award-winning
historian Jules Gill-Peterson takes us from the bustling port cities
of New York and New Orleans to the streets of London and Paris in
search of the emergence of modern trans misogyny. She connects the
colonial and military districts of the British Raj, the Philippines,
and Hawai'i to the lively travesti communities of Latin America,
where state violence has stamped a trans label on vastly different
ways of life. Weaving together the stories of historical figures in a
richly detailed narrative, the book shows how trans femininity
emerged under colonial governments, the sex work industry, the
policing of urban public spaces, and the area between the formal and
informal economy.
A
Short History of Trans Misogyny
is the first book to explain why trans women are burdened by such a
weight of injustice and hatred.