Shipping Through the Holidays β˜€οΈπŸ“¦

New Year, New You Sale β˜€οΈ- Up to 20% off 500+ books!

Before Gender

Lost Stories from TRANS History 1850–1950
4.14 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 242 ratings, 43 reviews)
Brief Description
Discover the trailblazing lives of thirty trans people who will radically change everything you've been told about transgender history. Highlighting influential individuals from 1850 to 1950 who are all but unknown today, Eli Erlick shares thirty remarkable stories from romance to rebellion and mystery to murder.... Read More
Format: Hardback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Before Gender. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Before Gender

This ground-breaking book rewrites trans history, presenting the stories of thirty extraordinary trans people who lived between 1850 and 1950. Featuring kids, activists, workers and athletes, it reveals the reality of trans lives in an era before the concept of gender became an everyday term.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Discover the trailblazing lives of thirty trans people who will radically change everything you've been told about transgender history.

Highlighting influential individuals from 1850 to 1950 who are all but unknown today, Eli Erlick shares thirty remarkable stories from romance to rebellion and mystery to murder. These narratives chronicle the grit, joy, and survival of trans people long before gender became an everyday term.

Organised into four parts, paralleling today's controversies over gender identity β€” kids, activists, workers, and athletes β€” Before Gender introduces figures whose forgotten stories transform the discussion. These ground-breaking histories include two of the first teens to access gender-affirming medical treatment, a countess who instigated an LGBTQ+ riot forty years before Stonewall, and the greatest female billiards player of the 1910s.

Bold and visionary, Erlick's debut uncovers these lost stories from the depths of the archives to narrate trans lives in a way that has never been attempted before.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781526192714

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 10 June 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Manchester University Press

Illustration: 22 black & white illustrations

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Eli Erlick is an internationally acclaimed activist, author and educator. In 2011, she founded Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER), an organisation dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans students. Since then, she has been at the forefront of social justice issues through her research, organising and cultural criticism. Erlick's work and writing have been featured in hundreds of outlets, including the New York Times, Time Magazine and the Washington Post. She lives in New York City, where she continues to fight for trans liberation.

More from History & Military

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.