Trans

This title is part of American Studies Now and available as an e-book first. Visit ucpress.edu/go/americanstudiesnow to learn more. In the last decade, public discussions of transgender issues have increased exponentially. However, with this increased visibility has come not just power, but regulation, both in favor of and against trans people. What was once regarded as an unusual or even unfortunate disorder has become an accepted articulation of gendered embodiment as well as a new site for political activism and political recognition. What happened in the last few decades to prompt such an extensive rethinking of our understanding of gendered embodiment? How did a stigmatized identity become so central to US and European articulations of self? And how have people responded to the new definitions and understanding of sex and the gendered body? In Trans*, Jack Halberstam explores these recent shifts in the meaning of the gendered body and representation, and explores the possibilities of a nongendered, gender-optional, or gender-queer future.

“Wide-ranging in its explorations, this slim volume aims to provide some wisdom at a pivotal moment in trans history. . . . There is much to recommend this text, including its introductory review of some recent trans scholarship and its gloss of contemporary challenges facing the trans community.”, "More than just an account of gender variability, this book provides suggestions for reframing our perceptions of the gendered body and opens up tantalizing possibilities for the future. This is an essential purchase for all libraries serving gender studies programs at all levels.", "This is no inaccessible tome full of prose and obfuscating jargon; it is friendly and approaches a broad range of subjects, making it a good 'gateway book' for the field of transgender studies."

Jack Halberstam is Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at University of Southern California.