Trans Britain: Our Journey from the Shadows

by Christine Burns

Over the last five years, transgender people have seemed to burst into the public eye: Time declared 2014 a ‘trans tipping point’, while American Vogue named 2015 ‘the year of trans visibility’. From our television screens to the ballot box, transgender people have suddenly become part of the zeitgeist.

This apparently overnight emergence, though, is just the latest stage in a long and varied history. The renown of Paris Lees and Hari Nef has its roots in the efforts of those who struggled for equality before them, but were met with indifference – and often outright hostility – from mainstream society.

Trans Britain chronicles this journey in the words of those who were there to witness a marginalised community grow into the visible phenomenon we recognise today: activists, film-makers, broadcasters, parents, an actress, a rock musician and a priest, among many others.

Here is everything you always wanted to know about the background of the trans community, but never knew how to ask.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Queer, LGBT, Transgender, Politics, Gender

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Christine Burns MBE has campaigned for a quarter of a century for the civil rights of transgender people, and has been involved with the trans community for more than forty years. She has worked as an equalities consultant, helped to put together new employment legislation and the Gender Recognition Act, and wrote the first ever official guidance about trans people (as both staff and patients) for the Department of Health. She lives in Manchester.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

A collection of essays about British trans history/current affairs (including, latterly, nonbinary people), covering the situation as it was lived in the 30s on, media exposure and treatment, medical treatment, going in depth into the way the laws and attitudes have altered and the fight for legal/political change. Most of the pieces are by activists (mostly trans or nb, some allies).

It's a very necessary book, in that what first becomes obvious is there's barely any trans history to tell because of the scale on which people were ignored, marginalised, silenced, or forced by self protection to silence themselves. So we know that in the early part of the twentieth century we had cases of what we'd now call trans people marrying (ie a trans woman marrying a cis man) and that was *accepted*, apparently because the law didn't really know what to do about it. But we don't have detailed, let alone first person, accounts. So many stories lost.

I rather wished there had been more oral history and life experience in this along with the focus on the struggle. Quite a few of the contributors cover the same ground here (the fight for political justice, the impact of the first documentary, the medical issues) and while it's hugely important this is recorded, it can end up being rather factual. Then again, what comes across powerfully is the extraordinary pain suffered by so many people--isolation, misgendering, exclusion, being abused or ignored by every aspect of the state--so you can see why especially the older people featured here wouldn't want to relive that in detail.

A few recurring themes: the impact of the internet in spreading information and helping end isolation, the huge differences in treatment depending on wealth and class, the shittiness of much of the medical establishment and the intense shittiness of the national disease that is the British press, the diversity of this relatively tiny population, the intense difficulty of talking about the past when the vocabulary either didn't exist or was made up of words and ideas people now find offensive, the intense courage and dedication of the activists who helped bring about change, and the toll it took on them. Also, I lost count of the number of people mentioned in passing as having committed suicide. This was and remains a *slaughter*, and for what purpose, the greater glory of the gender binary?

Yes, this book will make you angry, especially the chapters on the maliciously cruel British press and on TERFs like Julie Bindel, who has done so much harm. If your feminism is not intersectional it is garbage. Equally the section on Scotland does show that political change can be achieved with the right will, and translates into making a difference to human life.

This history does seem to sketch an arc bending towards justice, but too slowly. A very valuable collection and thank goodness for crowdfunding publishers like Unbound that make books like this possible.

[Lizzie Huxley-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trans Britain is a very different but complementary book to Trans Like Me; a historical anthology, including essays from individual people telling their own story within the major eras of trans history in the UK. Burns sets the scene by dividing the book into three distinct sections, and introducing them to the climate of that era, providing a reader with an overview that places the following essays within a clear cultural context.

The chapter on non-binary people was an essential learning process for me, seeing how we fit into the historical trans movement. I’ve only really began to understand myself as non-binary, knowing that I’ve always been “other” than the binary gender options, and this chapter in particular made me feel so much more connected to myself.

This is a book of mini-memoirs, and the story of a history that is still unfolding.

[Crazytourists_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I do not know a lot about being trans, queer, non-binary but I believe that everyone has/should have the right to define themselves however they feel or desire.
This book is quite interesting, I learnt a lot about trans history in Britain and about individual experiences being trans through the years in a (very) hostile societal environment.
However, there are a few things, that I would like to be different about this book. I would like some wider diversity and representation of transmasculine and people of color. The structure could, also, be different, because the information at some parts were quite repetitive and dry, making if hard to follow.
A quite interesting and important book for all of us who claim to be humans.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've learned so much from this book about the historical context of trans experience and identity, how it has been both separate from and linked with LGB identities, and the more recent recognition of non-binary identities. It completely dismantles the attempts to diminish trans people by saying their identity is "just a passing fad".

The growing mainstream recognition that trans-ness is not a pathology, rather a valid expression of personhood, is a significant change in social attitudes that I'm sure the present conservative backlash will not stem.

[charlotte, · Rating 2 out of 5]

the bits about trans history in britain were interesting, a lot that i hadn't heard of, but overall this was somehow so dry and also quite trans 101 in places (understandable if the audience is cis people ofc)

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sets out by taking several different accounts the evolution of Trans people's place in Britain over the last 60 years. It is fascinating in a lot of places and introduced me to loads of facts I didn't know.

However, the contributors tended to be white binary-trans women from middle-class backgrounds of a particular age meaning that we tend to get a very similar narrative in many of the pieces and doesn't really cover the diversity of the community.

[Fred Langridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive look at the history of trans activism, trans rights and trans experience in Britain since the mid-20th century. Chapters by different authors, on different themes, are free-standing, so there's a bit of overlap in the history, but it's interesting to read about the same events told through different viewpoints.

[mia evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

truly think this should be required reading for sociology / human rights courses.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not easy being trans. Our very existence is treated as a 'debate'. We're constantly coming under fire from the media, politicians, and billionaire authors. Cis people - who by their very nature do not know our lives - are given a platform to write articles in national newspapers, and even publish books, filled with misinformation and fallacies about our existence. Trans people ourselves are rarely afforded the same platforms to dispel these lies. This is especially true in the UK (or TERF Island as some trans folks have taken to calling it lately). Smarter people than me have been pointing out for a while that today's transphobia is nothing more than the rehashed homophobia of the 80s. It's just been given a 'feminist' dressing to make it sound reasonable to otherwise well-meaning but uneducated cis people. It's false and it's incredibly harmful. Don't fall for it.

This book is a nice counterpoint to that. It's presented as a series of essays written (in almost all cases) by actual trans people, approaching UK trans history through a variety of lenses. I've enjoyed reading it, and learning more about our history. Life keeps giving me constant reminders that this history isn't even half over and things may get worse before they get better, but I do have hope. Many of us have only recently found the language to describe our experiences - like the title says, we're journeying out of the shadows - but we exist and we're not going anywhere. We can't all be activists but we do need to pay our dues to the people who came before us and fought for the rights we've gained so far.

If I'm going to fault it it's that the book can be a bit repetitive and dry at times - lots of talk about the political and legislative side of things. Also every contributor, as far as I can tell, is white and the majority are transfeminine. I'd have liked to hear from a few more transmasculine people. There was a chapter on non-binary identity, however, which was very welcome. There are so many ways to be trans and hopefully going forward we'll be able to see more diverse perspectives.

Recommended for trans people, and anyone who wants to support us by actually listening to us.

[Jac Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for me. 5/5

Some of my favourite chapters:
2) 1966 and All That: The History of Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic by Dr Stuart Lorimer
5) Sex, Gender and Rock ‘N’ Roll by Kate Hutchinson
7) Taking to the Law by Mark Rees (with the assistance of Katherine O’Donnell)
9) The Press by Jane Fae
Part 3) The Social Challenge by Christine Burns
15) Non-Binary Identity by Meg-John Barker, Ben Vincent and Jos Twist
18) Making History Today by Fox Fisher

[Ripley Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of people say this book could be better, but not really for the reasons I think it could be. It does an excellent job of condensing decades of information and activism into 350 pages and makes it readable, which is no small feat. I just wish it had been a little more critical and radical but that's just a minor nitpick on my part. Very informative and easy to read.

[Cendaquenta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely educational but was a bit dense and hard-to-follow at times - still v much recommend to those interested in the topic.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this anthology! Interviews ranged from people who transitioned in the 60s and 70s, forgotten names that helped to bring about the Gender Recognition Act of 2004, to activists that transitioned in the noughties both binary and non-binary.

Reading this reminded me of how Americanised English Pride events and figures have become. Names like Marsha P. Johnson and Slyvia Rivera, Harvey Milk are thrown around a lot around Pride months. The names Mark Rees, Stephen Whittle or Sue Sanders have never been floating around.

It highlighted an introduction to the slow and separate progress of how trans rights developed separate to LGB rights in the UK from people who experienced and fought for change in legislation, and people who are still trying to make changes both legally and socially for greater inclusivity in various manners.

It wasn't perfect, there were things I thought that could have been included more, or areas that I thought as an anthology on trans history were missing entirely. In itself, it is good. One can't include everything, but when discussing trans representation I think more needed to be mentioned on the intersectionality of racial and ethnic minorities and trans lives than mentioning Laverne Cox, one paragraph related to the LGBT community and trade unions, and based on Black History month to have an official LGBT History Month. Fear and safety is still tied in with a trans identity, and to leave out how culture ties into this seems somewhat ignorant. The book had a chance to discuss trans identity in the context of Christianity, so why not in the context of an Asian or Afro-Caribbean culture?
Edit: Out of 23 people, only one - Fox Fisher - is not white, to my knowledge.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just good to have a British history of trans stuff. Particularly the development of the highly flawed but at least somewhat effective NHS framework for transitioning and all the fucked up, crooked / genuinely empathic allys who make transitioning under the NHS today possible.

One of the few hopeful things I've read lately that illustrates just how little people with not much power can come together and genuinely change institutions from the ground up

I love that our transcestors did not give up on themselves and even travelled across the world to seek out the very very rare surgeons and endocrinologists that were treating trans people in the early 1900s

[Ellen Mellor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished reading Trans Britain. It's a fascinating and inspiring series of essays covering the history of trans activism from the '50s and' 60s up to the present edited by Christine Burns and written by a number of different people - most of whom are trans and a few cis gender allies who also have a perspective on the subject - either medical or political. There was a lot of stuff that I didn't know, or not to any great depth. On the whole, I found it to be an excellent read and recommend it to anyone who has any sort of interest in the history of trans people in the UK.

[Otone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really helped me better understand not only the history of trans activism and lived experiences in the UK but also trans representation generally - in film, in the law, in the press, in feminist theory, and in the workplace. With so many essays written by significant trans people compiled in one book, I really was taken on a journey through multiple perspectives. I wish there had been a chapter specifically exploring the intersectionality of race and trans rights, but I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially people living in the UK.

[Zara Rahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book, and I’m glad I read it! Parts were extremely detailed in a way that didn’t necessarily contribute to the narrative, though, and I had the feeling that a thorough edit would’ve made it both more concise and easier to follow. Generally though, it was eye-opening to learn about the journey the trans community has had in the UK (especially relevant now with the increasing emergence of TERFs in the UK “feminist” scene).

[Alan Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was very informative and made me realize how many gaps I had in my knowledge of trans rights. The book has 19 essays, so the writing style varies quite a bit from author to author, so it can interrupt the flow of understanding. All in all, a very good book.

[Andrew Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times the book is a bit repetitive, but that aside it's a fantastic (and fascinating) first-hand history of trans lives and activism over the past half century.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, vital read. Great broad range of perspectives on trans history and culture in Britain. Essential reading if you want to know more about trans issues.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable history - from the view of press for change and similar types of campaigns. Sorely lacking any BAME writers or narratives, only Dave Merchant really getting a mention. Missed off Wales and Ireland and Scotlband got a single chapter. However- if thought from a perspective of press for change, rather than a complete history, it's interesting and valuable to hear the accounts of those included.

[Ell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and informative. It's a little repetitive sometimes, but that's because a lot of different contributors cover overlapping topics and periods, and certain events are brought up many times—the April Ashley ruling and the Gender Recognition Act, for example—because they affected everyone's lives across the board during these periods. Names recur again and again, which reminded me of a conversation I had with my friend, an environmental activist: she told me that 99% of the crucial eco-activism work in the UK is done by a core of about 70 people who show up everywhere, who dedicate their whole lives to it. I was shocked by this, and similarly shocked by the vanishingly small number of trans activists who got most of the core work done.

There's plenty of other surprising details here (to me, at least): up until the April Ashley ruling in 1970, trans people (then a near-invisible category) were often able to change their birth certificates and thus life as a trans person actually got much harder, at least from a legal standpoint, after 1970. I was shocked that the Gender Recognition Act only passed in 2004, after years of being postponed by the Blair regime and dozens of legal challenges; I was shocked that until a demo in 2008, there had never been 150 trans people in the same place in the UK; shocked that until 2015 (!!) Stonewall didn't include trans people under its remit; mildly surprised that the TERF phenomenon is actually quite recent in the UK, an essentially manufactured debate which was imported from the US and took root on a much larger scale here than across the pond, thanks to the opinion pieces Suzanne Moore et al at the Guardian/Observer, Germaine Greer, and of course J.K. Rowling. Freedom of speech issue my arse.

Anyway that's not to downplay the heartwarming stuff in here as well. A lot of happy endings for the contributors (there's a lovely bit at the very end, where a prominent trans broadcaster walks down a street in Barnsley a few weeks after coming out and gets shouted at by some builders: 'We're proud of you, Steph!') I do almost wish there was more cultural stuff like the chapter about genderfluidity in rock music, but I can see why the editor and contributors chose to focus more on the legal side of things, because otherwise the book would be 1000 pages long and have too many chapters about glam rockers that turned out, disappointingly, to be cis men. (Reminds me a bit of Todd Haynes' quasi-Bowie biopic Velvet Goldmine, which ended up exploring queerness much more authentically, precisely because it wasn't about the real Bowie.)

Crucially, the book serves as a broader reminder of the huge, huge strides we've made in the past 10 years or so. Even if there is a wellspring of grim TERFiness in this country, in a decade we went from trans peoples' spouses being able to overrule their change of birth certificate, to a wealth of trans role models in the media and the first legal provisions for non-binary people. There's a long way to go, mind you, but we've made great strides (a cliche but in this case very true). Recommended reading for allies and trans friends alike. If anyone tries to tell you trans identities are a recent phenomenon, show them the newspaper clipping about Mark Weston from 1936, although they've probably already made up their mind that gender is biological and won't let any facts hurt their feelings :)

[Ambrose Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of non-fiction accounts of British trans people’s lives and activism, mostly in their own words, with a couple of chapters from allies who’ve been part of the fight for trans rights.

This was a heavy read for me and I suspect it might be for a lot of trans people, which isn’t a fault of the book, but rather the reality of trans history. I knew it was going to be a rough ride when the introduction included a photograph of Nazis burning all the books and records of an early gender clinic in the inter-war period. The earlier chapters are particularly tough personal accounts by older trans people about transitioning at a time when trans rights were scarce and medical support was extremely inadequate. Later chapters focus more on subjects like trans media representation, non-binary identities and more recent trans activism, and were easier going from a subject perspective and often also written in a style I found more accessible, though that could be based on my own age and experience.

Even though I spent a week in a pretty much permanent bad mood, it was worth it. I learnt a lot about trans history in the 20th and 21st century, how current laws evolved and how different organisations fit together. The British focus was welcome to me, given the US bias of the majority of media output and internet content. The book’s focus is on more recent history and doesn’t make any attempt to go back further than the 30s and 40s. I’d love to read a book that digs deeper into the history of gender variance, but I can understand why that’s outside the scope of this book. Although, having said that, looking at the very early 20th century would have found a more convergent point for different queer histories and that might have provided an interesting point of perspective for the later unifying of LGBT activism and surrounding controversies.

The book tackles head-on the problems of generational shift in experiences, meaning and language use by presenting various differing accounts side by side. That does of course mean that some chapters use language that now feels out of date and might make some people uncomfortable. I think that’s a necessary part of an inter-generational discourse, which is much needed in queer circles and sadly sometimes rejected or avoided.

A slightly odd feature of the book was that almost every chapter mentioned the work of trans legal activist and academic, Stephen Whittle, but there was no chapter by him. There could be any number of reasons for this, but as he was so present in multiple narratives, the absence of his voice was noticeable.

This is definitely worth a look. It’s extremely informative and offers a breadth of experience that I haven’t come across in any other context. And worth sticking with through the tougher chapters, or ones that don’t speak so strongly to your own experience or outlook. The style and tone changes multiple times throughout the book, so if one chapter doesn’t sit well, another probably will. The focus is particularly on the fight for trans rights and trans visibility, so whilst there are a number of very personal stories, they’re told through that lens. Whilst it can be a grim read at times, it’s also a record of remarkable resilience in the face of overwhelming opposition. It’s impossible not to respect the determination of those who fought for trans rights through considerable hostility and rejection. This book provides important context for the current ongoing debates around trans rights.

(Cross posted from my blog: https://mrvolpone.wordpress.com/ )

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars.

This was a really fascinating and informative read.

Though sections did become a little repetitive (I lost count of how many chapters mentioned Hayley Cropper, for example), the information provided was really useful in understanding an experience that I'm never going to have first hand as a cis-gendered woman. Just because I'm one identity doesn't mean I can't benefit from learning about others.

I will say, the non-binary chapter put a little sour taste to the book. Not because of the subject matter, absolutely not that, for the most part it was super helpful. But there was one little bit in it that essentially said to the reader and not in these words exactly, just implied, "you want this info? Google it." which just seemed off to me. I've paid money to learn about a topic which this book says it would provide and the authors of that section basically said Google is free. Why should I have purchased the book then?

That was just a miniscule blip in what was otherwise a decent book.

[Ash Ricketts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly remarkable read, and having read the e-book I'm now keen to purchase a physical copy that I daresay I'll be re-reading often. The most insightful look at the trans community's history in Britain, told from the perspective of a different person each chapter, each with their own connection to the community and story to tell. Incredible. A must read.

[nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of essays detailing an untold history of trans people from the mid 20th century to the present day. Each chapter told from a different voice causing some over lap but interesting hearing the different viewpoints of the same events. Totally engrossing read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an interesting book, coming as I am from a trans view point. There were so many places where I was just flat out flabbergasted by the legal and societal framework that I grew up in. It no great surprise that I didn’t come out until my mid 40s! I thoroughly recommend it!

[Nathan Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential for understanding Trans people in Britain

A fantastic read which teaches about the Trans experience and politics in Britain from Trans people themselves. Fuck Germaine Greer.

[Emma Pea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essays - diverse voices talking about the journey that the UK has taken towards accepting trans and non-binary identities in the UK. Essentially, it's broken into 3 key sections - the historical context, where we are now and where we are going.

At the time of writing this review, trans folk are facing unacceptable levels of hostility in the media. I try and rationalise it by recognising that everywhere that folk have fought for equality - whether that was racial equality, gay rights or elsewhere - there has always been resistance. But as MLK observed, the arc of the moral universe is long and it bends towards Justice. Rights have to be fought for and this book goes a long way to explaining why that journey in the UK is such a challenge.

But ultimately, all trans-folk want is to live friction free lives, to enjoy the things that cis folk take for granted because they've never experienced the same challenges. This book delivers incredible insights into what those challenges are and also why a lot of the resistance is founded in neither science nor statistics.

The essay format makes for great reading too, you don't have to go cover to cover if you don't want, you can focus on what you want to learn. Plus it creates an opportunity for more diversity of voice. This is essential reading for anyone that wants to understand trans folk better and support their journey towards inclusion.

[miles z · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains important information but is often dry and repetitive and conservative, especially within the first two parts.

The book presents the narrative that only valid trans perspectives are those who have been palatable, organised within the non profit industrial complex, organised
along medical, legal lines and are willing to cooperate with the police.

Trans people who may have had more radical activism, lived more marginal lives, and been more genderqueer have been dismissed, excluded and erased from this narrative, for the most part. There is also a clear lack of narratives from trans men, as the majority of the writers chosen are white (middle class) trans women by a very clear majority.

There is also a failure to discuss: what is gender? To interrogate the gender binary.

Instead, the writers of the first two parts of the book treat gender as something that almost exists objectively in the world, something that is just there and not to be questioned.

Part three is a breath of fresh air.It includes writers who are more willing to discuss the philosophy of gender and perspectives from non-binary people. However, I find it tokenistic that the three non-binary writers are squished into one chapter, whereas in previous chapters, each writer had their own chapter. But also these chapters feel too condensed because it feels like each writer is trying to get down everything they want to say everything, everything they have taken part in and everything they've ever thought about regarding gender.

There is also an editorial failure to bring together the different parts of the book: the more traditional first two parts and the more open-minded final part.