A Short History of Trans Misogyny Book Review

A stellar deconstruction of the dehumanizing and marginalizing cultures surrounding transfemininity that transcends the contemporary understanding of transgender identities. Jules GillPeterson’s A Short History of Trans Misogyny spans centuries, cultures and peoples as she digs up the colonial roots of violence and marginalization trans-feminized individuals have faced in ill-attempts of institutions to compartmentalize rather than understand them. What may have been a benevolent intention to increase awareness and acceptance and of diverse feminine identities, the label Transgender has dually segregated trans-feminine BIPOC, often in lower classes, from their white and upper-class peers in Queer communities. Gill-Peterson urges us to critically engage with our views on femininity, as not all current terminology and epistemologies of gender fully encompasses or appreciates each experience of trans-femininity and expression.

Review by: Ciaran Graham