TRANS* & Nonbinary

Lending Library

Glimmerings:

Trans Elders Tell Their Stories

Edited by Margot Wilson (she/her)

and Aaron Devor (he/him)

Glimmerings is a compilation of stories told by 15 trans elders. Champions exist in every community. These are the courageous, resolute, and independent spirits who defy, disrupt, and challenge the status quo; who remain unwaveringly true to themselves and their principles; who resist, persist, and insist on authenticity; who blaze trails for themselves as well as for those who follow; who create opportunities for understanding, learning, and change in the world. Glimmerings offers stories of trans, non-binary and Two-Spirit champions, innovators, and trailblazers who came of age in the 1930s to the 1980s, before the age of global communication, at a time when the Internet and worldwide connectivity were still visions of the future; when only inflexible, dichotomous categories of male and female existed; when heterosexuality was the only sanctioned form of romantic attraction or sexual conduct; and when any expression of interest outside of these strict prescriptions was severely censured. Glimmerings tells about living in a time when those whose preferences, perspectives, and behaviours contravened prevailing expectations, when trans individuals had to negotiate dark, prejudicial places where they experienced fear, shame, guilt, despair, isolation, and sometimes a little bit of hope. Sparked by a comment made by Stephanie Castle, a Canadian trans woman and advocate for the rights of trans people, especially those incarcerated in the Canadian prison system, Glimmerings begins with the story of a dream Stephanie had as a 4 or 5 year old child in which she recognizes herself, not as the biological male she has been assigned at birth, but as a girl. Other authors in the volume recount similar experiences at equally young ages, of discovering that their authentic selves were in contradiction to and/or outside of their originally assigned genders. Growing up at that time, life for many was characterized by isolation, secrecy, prejudice, reproach, silence, and shame. Widespread, these sentiments were both externally imposed and sometimes self-inflicted. For those who were unable or unwilling to hide their differences, the consequences were often dire. Social support networks were virtually non-existent, there was no language to describe their feelings, and there were no legal protections for trans people. Being “out” routinely resulted in loss of respectability and socioeconomic stability. Secrecy, for many, was simply a matter of survival. Glimmerings provides an accounting of some of the experiences that shaped individuals in the early days of trans history and advocacy in Canada and the United States. These stories are personal, intimate, nuanced, and subjective. They are as idiosyncratic and unique as the individuals telling them. They provide a view that is rarely available and at the core of each is an imperative to recognize, honour, and affirm each person’s authenticity. It is difficult to overstate the importance of recording and preserving trans elders’ stories. They orient our understanding of the varied paths along which the trans community, its history, and experience have journeyed. These are the stories of those who took significant risks and made personal sacrifices in order to draw attention to and foster understanding of the issues faced by trans people. Change initiated by them has made it possible for young trans people today to more openly experiment with and express their authentic gender identities and individualities, to recognize, articulate and reveal their authentic selves, and to transition in more supportive environments. A must read for trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit, and other gender diverse people and their allies, and also for cisgender high school, college and/or university students, teachers and counselors, professionals, members of the broader community and general reading public.

Glimmerings is a compilation of stories told by 15 trans elders. Glimmerings offers stories of trans, non-binary and Two-Spirit champions, innovators, and trailblazers who came of age in the 1930s to the 1980s, before the age of global communication, at a time when the Internet and worldwide connectivity were still visions of the future; when only inflexible, dichotomous categories of male and female existed; when heterosexuality was the only sanctioned form of romantic attraction or sexual conduct; and when any expression of interest outside of these strict prescriptions was severely censured. Growing up in their early ages, life for many was characterized by isolation, secrecy, prejudice, reproach, silence, and shame. Social support networks were virtually non-existent, there was no language to describe their feelings, and there were no legal protections for trans people. Being “out” routinely resulted in loss of respectability and socioeconomic stability. Secrecy, for many, was simply a matter of survival.  

It is difficult to overstate the importance of recording and preserving trans elders’ stories. They orient our understanding of the varied paths along which the trans community, its history, and experience have journeyed. These are the stories of those who took significant risks and made personal sacrifices in order to draw attention to and foster understanding of the issues faced by trans people. Change initiated by them has made it possible for young trans people today to more openly experiment with and express their authentic gender identities and individualities, to recognize, articulate and reveal their authentic selves, and to transition in more supportive environments.

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