Links

More information can be found at the following links.

  • The Gender Centre in Sydney is a good source of information. The document "The Transsexual Person in Your Life" was written for people who have just learned that someone is transsexual.
  • Wikipedia has pages on transsexualism and its causes. They appear to be reasonable accounts of the present state of affairs.
  • ATSAQ is a friendly organization in Brisbane providing support and information on all aspects of gender reassignment, for the general community and people who are experiencing difficulty with their gender identity.
  • Rachael Padman is an Australian-born physicist working at Cambridge University in the U.K. She transitioned in 1981 while studying for her PhD degree. She tells of how feminist Germaine Greer objected to her being elected to a fellowship at Newnham College at Cambridge University.
  • The Equity Office at the University of Queensland has a web page devoted to general information on Gender Identity issues.

Books


Autobiographies and personal stories

  • Conundrum
    by Jan Morris (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York, 1974)
    The author became a popular travel writer and fathered 5 children before transitioning in 1972. This book is the first autobiography by a transgendered person. It provided the general public with the first insights of what it is like to be transgendered and undergo transition. The review of the BBC's documentary Jan Morris: A Profile gives an overview of Jan's life.
  • Crossing, A Memoir
    by Deirdre McCloskey (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1999).
    The author, a renown economist academic, describes the highs and lows of her journey from Don to Deirdre.

  • She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders
    by Jennifer Finney Boylan (New York, Broadway Books/Random House, 2003)
    A witty autobiographical account of the transition of the author who is professor of creative writing and American literature at Colby College in the USA.
  • Trans forming families - real stories about transgendered loved ones
    by Mary Boenke, Editor, 2nd Edition (Oak Knoll Press, Hardy USA, 2003).
    This book is a collection of short accounts (of usually one or two pages in length) from families and partners of transgendered people. The editor is a mother of a transman.

Books by professionals

  • True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals
    by Mildred L. Brown and Chloe Ann Rounsley (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1996).
    This book gives a thorough coverage of all aspects surrounding the lives of transgendered people from childhood to adulthood. Transgendered readers will find consolation in its description of the lives of people faced with similar problems and conditions. Other readers will find insight into the motivations and lifestyle choices of transgendered people. It takes a practical and realistic approach. For example it includes letters from transgendered people breaking the news of their transgendered nature to loved ones, friends and work colleagues and the responses they receive. It has sections devoted to helping loved ones cope and deal with the situation of having a transgendered spouse, parent or child.

  • Gender loving care - a guide to counseling gender-variant clients.
    by Randi Ettner (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1999).
    This book is primarily for professionals who deal with transgendered people. Nevertheless it is easily accessible to all people with an interest in transgenderism. It begins with historical and etiological information and then lays down the theoretical framework for effective psychotherapy.

  • The transgender debate - the crisis surrounding gender identities
    by Stephen Whittle (Garnet Publishing, Reading, 2000).
    This little book of 68 pages is a concise account of the issues surrounding transgenderism and transsexualism. The author, a transman, plays an active role in informing the public and also in bringing about changes in the law in the U.K.