Transgender Archives

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Discovery Tool

The newly updated Transgender Archives Discovery Tool searches the world’s largest collection of Trans+ publications, including people, places, dates, titles, and subject keywords. 

Discovery Tool

Red Jordan Arobateau

Red Jordan Arobateau (1943-2021) was an American author, poet, playwright, and visual artist. This new collection primarily consists of records related to Arobateau’s life as an author, poet, and playwright

Red Jordan Arobateau

An oral history digital exhibit

Word of Mouth showcases the Trans Activism Oral History collection. It tells some of the story about how Trans+ communities & networks developed in North America throughout the latter half of the 20th century.

An oral history digital exhibit

FTM Newsletter Online

All 67 issues (1987-2008) of FTM Newsletter have been digitized and are now available online free of charge. Published by FTM International, the longest continuously-running organization for the transmasculine community.

FTM Newsletter Online

Transvestia magazine online

All 111 issues of Transvestia magazine (1960-1986) are now digitized and available online!

Transvestia magazine online

60+ years of activism. 120+ years of research.

The Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria Libraries is committed to the preservation of the history of pioneering activists, community leaders, and researchers who have contributed to the betterment of Trans+ people. We are accessible to everyone, free of charge. 

Our collections comprise the largest Trans+ archives in the world.

Since 2007, we have been actively acquiring documents, rare publications, and memorabilia of persons and organizations associated with activism by and for Trans+ people. We officially launched in late Fall 2011.

Our records:

  • span over 160 meters or 530 linear feet (1.5 football fields long),
  • go back over 120 years, and
  • are in 15 languages from 23 countries on six continents.

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
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EEF

Starting in 1964, the Erickson Educational Foundation (EEF), a philanthropic organization funded by Reed Erickson, published newsletters, pamphlets, and books.





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Red Jordan Arobateau

This collection primarily consists of records related to Red Jordan Arobateau’s life as an author, poet, and playwright. These include early and late drafts of written works, personal papers, photographs, audio-visual materials, and several artefacts.


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FTM Newsletter

The FTM Newsletter was created by Lou Sullivan and first published in 1987. It became the most widely circulated & highly respected publication exploring transmasculine experiences.  All 67 issues are now available online.

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Transvestia

Transvestia was the first widely distributed magazine focused on the cross-dressing community. All 111 issues (1960-1986) are now digitized and available online!


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Trans Activism Oral History

The Trans Activism Oral History collection is a project of the LGBTQ History Digital Collaboratory. The collection consists of video and audio interviews, collected 2019-2020, with Trans+ activist elders and allies from across North America.

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Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth is a digital exhibit showcasing the Trans Activism Oral History collection. It tells some of the story about how Trans+ communities and networks developed in North America throughout the latter half of the twentieth century.

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Tapestry Magazine

Founded by Merissa Sherrill Lynn, Transgender Tapestry is a magazine published from 1979-2008 by the Tiffany Club and then the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE). While we hold all physical copies, the Digital Transgender Archive has all issues available online.


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Transgender Scrapbooks

From 1971-1982, 13 scrapbooks were compiled from newspaper & magazine clippings published in the UK. The content relates to gender & sexual identity and is organized in thought-provoking, and sometimes humorous, ways.



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Japanese Serials Collection

UVic Libraries’ Transgender Archives holds a selection of Japanese language serials including, FTM Japan, Queen, and the Takarazuka Revue Script Collection.





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TransArchives @ DTA

We at the Transgender Archives thank our partners at the Digital Transgender Archive (DTA) for digitizing nearly 800 of our physical items and for making them available online. View our items on the DTA website.




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Featured material

Lammy award

In The Transgender Archives: Foundations for the Future you can read about some of the history of trans activism and research, learn about how the Transgender Archives got started, and see a few highlights from our collections.

The Transgender Archives: Foundations for the Future was chosen as a 2015 Lambda Literary Awards finalist in LGBT nonfiction.

Transgender Archives

"Word of Mouth" Panel
Website: https://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/what-we-do/events/speakers/index.php Word of Mouth exhibit: https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/trans-activists DONATE https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/transchair "Word of Mouth" Launch LIVE panel discussing the question: “When did you first discover you were not alone?” Friday, October 7th, 2022 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Online on Zoom While some of us are lucky enough to take the existence of today’s Trans+ communities for granted, this is a relatively recent experience. It was not so long ago that sharing any kind of Trans+ related information was difficult, dangerous, and almost universally illegal. Join Aaron Devor, Chair in Transgender Studies, in conversation with six Trans+ activist elders and leaders. This live panel discussion is in recognition of the launch of a digital exhibit about Trans+ oral histories, Word of Mouth. Word of Mouth is an oral history digital exhibit that tells some of the story about how Trans+ communities and networks developed in North America in the latter half of the twentieth century. The interviews are a part of The Trans Activism Oral History Project, an initiative of the LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory. The full oral histories are housed at the Transgender Archives and are available through the Word of Mouth digital exhibit. The 17 Trans+ activist who were interviewed only represent a small slice of Trans+ history. This online panel conversation will bring together additional stories, so that future generations can learn from a more diverse group of Trans+ activists and experiences. Marsha Botzer has served the LGBTQIA+ and progressive communities for over 45 years. She has served on boards of Pride Foundation, Safe Schools, Lambert House, Seattle Counseling Service, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. She currently serves on the Martin Luther King County Labor Council Executive Board and is a founding member and current Commissioner of the Washington State LGBTQIA+ Commission. Jules Gill-Peterson is an associate professor of History at Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of Histories of the Transgender Child (2018) and a General Co-Editor of TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. Her next book, A Short History of Trans Misogyny, will be published by Verso. David Harrison is an actor, playwright and musician. His eclectic career includes being a professional psychic, hypnotherapist and dominatrix. He has primarily created and toured original work - including "FTM" (1994) based on his first year of transition. The show toured internationally over 9 years. His ongoing project at the moment, is stage and web series alter-ego, 60s rock star Reggie Wingnutz. Recent work includes his recurring guest star appearance as Russian spymaster, Ivan Stepanov (opposite James Spader) in Season 8 of NBC's The Blacklist. Andrea Jenkins made history in 2017 as the first African American openly trans woman to be elected to office in the United States. Now serving as Council President, she is also a writer, performance artist, poet and transgender activist. Jenkins moved to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota in 1979. She worked as a Vocational Counselor for Hennepin County government for a decade. Jenkins worked as a staff member on the Minneapolis City Council for 12 years before beginning work as curator of the Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota's Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies. Nicki Ward's decades-long advocacy includes environmental issues and extends substantially into the areas of LGBTQ, Disability Human Rights and Community. In addition to private sector board experience, Nicki has also served on volunteer boards of public sector, charitable and institutional organisations. While raising a family here, she served as a consultant in science and technology sectors before accepting a long term assignment in senior management with a major financial services company. Chase Willier is a nehiyaw (Cree) Two Spirit transman who was adopted out as part of the 60’s Scoop and grew up in Syilx territory. He joined the RCMP as the second indigenous woman in BC in 1979. He was out as lesbian and later identified as Two Spirit/Trans before he retired in 2010 although he didn’t transition until retirement. After over 25 years of service, he finally took some time out to address his PTSD which is something he writes about in The Remedy. He is passionate about health and wellness and as such is involved in numerous projects in the Two Spirit/Trans community. His work in Vancouver also extended into areas of safety, justice and reconciliation specific to indigenous peoples whether urban or local First Nations.
43 Hours in 7 Minutes: Trans Activism Oral History Project
Highlights from the Trans Activism Oral History Project Digital Exhibit: https://exhibits.library.uvic.ca/spotlight/trans-activists Chair in Transgender Studies: https://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/index.php Transgender Archives: https://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/index.php "Word of Mouth" tells some of the story about how these communities and networks developed in North America in the latter half of the twentieth century. It is a project of the Chair in Transgender Studies. The Trans Activism Oral History Project is a project of the LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory, founded in 2014 by historian Elspeth Brown and funded by the Social Science & Humanities Research Council of Canada. In order to establish and preserve Trans-specific and Trans-positive primary source historical narratives for future generations, the Trans Activism Oral History Project recorded elders’ oral histories of activism on behalf of Trans+ people and communities. The collection consists of 17 video and audio interviews, collected 2019-2020, with elders who were leading Trans+ activists and allies from across North America. In total, the recordings are 43 hours in length. In 2020, the oral histories were donated to the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria Libraries and The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives. Aaron Devor, the Chair in Transgender Studies at the University of Victoria, is the project lead for Word of Mouth.

See more videos from the Transgender Archive Videos playlist on YouTube.

Moving Trans History Forward 2023

See more videos from the Moving Trans History Forward 2023 playlist on YouTube.

Moving Trans History Forward 2021

[MTHF21 HIGHLIGHTS] 4 Days in 11 Minutes
Conference Website: https://www.uvic.ca/mthf2021/ Chair in Transgender Studies: https://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/index.php Transgender Archives: https://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/index.php Donate: https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/transchair The Moving Trans History Forward conferences are not just for scholars, or just for community people. MTHF conferences are a unique blend that create opportunities for cross-fertilization among members of general public; students and faculty; artists; activists; Trans, Nonbinary, Two-Spirit, and other gender-diverse people; family members; allies; and service providers. Conferences consider both our history, and the crucial issues which impact us today, and into the future—locally, nationally, and globally.
[YOUTH PANEL] Moving Trans History Forward conference 2021
Conference Website: https://www.uvic.ca/mthf2021/ Chair in Transgender Studies: https://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/index.php Transgender Archives: https://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/index.php Donate: https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/transchair THE YOUTH PANEL PRESENTED BY RBC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SKIPPING STONE (CALGARY, ALBERTA) Three youth (ages 11, 14, and 18) show a PechaKucha style art presentation about their experiences of being Trans+ youth. A panel of three additional Trans+ youth (14, 17, 19) provide LIVE responses and discussion.
[KEYNOTE] Miss Major w/ Kelendria Nation & Syrus Marcus Ware - Moving Trans History Forward 2021
Conference Website: https://www.uvic.ca/mthf2021/ Chair in Transgender Studies: https://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/index.php Transgender Archives: https://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/index.php Donate: https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/transchair THE MOVING TRANS HISTORY FORWARD CONFERENCE PRESENTS MISS MAJOR SATURDAY KEYNOTE MARCH 13 2021 11:15 AM PST Miss Major is a Black, transgender activist who has fought for over fifty years to create a better world. ABOUT MISS MAJOR Major is a veteran of the infamous Stonewall Riots, a former sex worker, and a survivor of Dannemora Prison and Bellevue Hospital’s “queen tank.” Her global legacy of activism is rooted in her own experiences, and she continues her work to uplift transgender women of color, particularly those who have survived incarceration and police brutality. Miss Major is featured in the 2015 documentary film, MAJOR!, which explores the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. IN CONVERSATION WITH KELENDRIA NATION & SYRUS MARCUS WARE Kelendria Nation is a Black woman of Trans experience of Caribbean descent who uses her perspective and unique experience to bring awareness to the various issues surrounding trans people; especially trans women of colour. She has dedicated herself to using her voice to impact change and bridge understanding across all communities. She provides advocacy, resolutions and transitions for Trans identified peoples. Through her work in community space through advocacy, she strives to allow folks to see that Trans, Non binary, and 2spirit identified folks because of their multiple intersections are often times left out in conversations. With collaboration and standing in solidarity with other community members she has been given the tools of being able to communicate her experience which has allowed her to tell her own story in her own voice. It is her hope that in time there will be more opportunities to empower other BIMPOC identified folks in the same which she has been. Syrus Marcus Ware is a Vanier scholar, visual artist, activist, curator and educator. Syrus uses drawing, installation and performance to explore social justice frameworks and black activist culture, and he’s shown widely in galleries and festivals across Canada. He is part of the Performance Disability Art Collective and a core-team member of Black Lives Matter – Toronto. He has won several recognitions including the TD Diversity Award 2017, “Best Queer Activist” NOW Magazine 2005, and the Steinert and Ferreiro Award 2012. He is the co-editor or the best-selling Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada (URP, 2020). Photo Credit: Jalani Morgan

See more videos from the Moving Trans History Forward 2021 playlist on YouTube.

Moving Trans History Forward 2018

MTHF18 Youth Panel
MOVING TRANS HISTORY FORWARD 2018 CONFERENCE WEBSITE: https://www.uvic.ca/mthf2018/ CHAIR IN TRANSGENDER STUDIES: https://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/index.php TRANSGENDER ARCHIVES: https://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/ DONATE: https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/transchair YOUTH PANEL The Moving Trans History Forward conference is proud to present “The Youth Panel" featuring a panel of trans youth speaking about their experiences as local activists in their schools and communities. Sponsored by Vancity. WHEN: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM, Saturday, March 24th, 2018 WHERE: B150 - Bob Wright Centre HOW MUCH: FREE for all conference registrants. Open to the public by donation. Jocelyn Baker Jocelyn Baker co-leads the Pride Alliance at St Michaels University School in Victoria (SMUS), a club that advocates for transgender rights and supports LGBTQ individuals in SMUS and in the local community. She has worked to create more inclusive facilities for transgender students at her school such as adopting non-gender-specific uniforms and creating more gender-neutral bathrooms. Jocelyn has educated SMUS on the rights of transgender students and helped faculty understand how to include them. She also founded SMUS' Debate Workshops, which teach students civil discourse skills, fostering open-mindedness and discussion. In her free time, Jocelyn enjoys reading and hiking Mount Douglas. Danny Charles My name is Danny. I am a female to male transgender. Pronouns are he/him. I love to sing, paint, and write! Jay Jay is a Canadian transgender teenager. He started his transition over 5 years ago and during that time has sat on panels geared towards the LGBTQ+ community, in Canada and the USA. Tru Wilson Tru Wilson is an articulate and bold fourteen-year-old transgender advocate from Vancouver, BC. Tru first made headlines when she filed a human rights complaint against her local Catholic school board for not supporting her transition, which resulted in the first known policy in any Catholic school in North America supporting a child's transition. Since then, Tru has become a proud and voracious speaker for trans rights, and in 2015 was recognized by Vancouver Magazine as one of the city's 50 most powerful and influential people. In 2016, she was named Options for Sexual Health’s Sexual Health Champion, and in 2017 her entire family was nominated to be grand marshals is the Vancouver Pride Parade. Tru was also chosen to be a speaker at Vancouver’s 2017 TedX East Van event. Tru continues to share her story to educate and inspire others. Still a growing teen, Tru enjoys cosplay, drawing for hours and playing with her girlfriends next door.
MTHF18 Elders Panel
MOVING TRANS HISTORY FORWARD 2018 CONFERENCE WEBSITE: https://www.uvic.ca/mthf2018/ CHAIR IN TRANSGENDER STUDIES: https://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/index.php TRANSGENDER ARCHIVES: https://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/ DONATE: https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/transchair “The Elders Panel" features a panel of trans elders providing live first-hand oral testimony about their experiences as elders of trans activism. WHEN: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM, Sunday, March 25th, 2018 WHERE: B150 - Bob Wright Centre HOW MUCH: FREE for all conference registrants. Open to the public by donation. WHO: Christine Burns: “Rescuing Trans History” Miqqi Alicia Gilbert: “One Week A Year: The Pragmatic Reality of Self-Actualization” Aidan Key: “A Gender Odyssey: Aidan Key’s Journey to Leadership, Education & Activism” Maria Sundin: “Ending Forced Sterilization in Sweden” CHRISTINE BURNS "Rescuing Trans Histories" Christine was a key part of Britain’s ‘Press for Change’ campaign for transgender rights from 1993 until 2007, becoming one of the vice-presidents in 1996. This means that she was involved throughout the years when the organisation was at its peak and had a key role in many of the groundbreaking successes which occurred, culminating in the passage of the UK's Gender Recognition Act in 2004. She has written several books, including a two-part history of the PFC campaign, Pressing Matters. She also penned the first National Health Service policy guide relating to trans patients and staff. She is now editing an anthology-based history of Britain’s trans community. Christine lives in Manchester, England, officially retired in 2013, and concentrates most of her time doting on her grandchildren, researching her family’s ancestry, reading detective fiction, gardening and riding her bike. MIQQI ALICIA GILBERT "One Week a Year: The Pragmatic Reality of Self-Actualization" Miqqi Alicia Gilbert, Ph.D. aka Michael A. Gilbert, is Full Professor of Philosophy at York University, Toronto, Canada. Miqqi Alicia has published scholarly articles in gender theory including an essay in Hypatia in 2009, “Defeating Bigenderism.” S/he is a life-long cross-dresser and an activist in the transgender community. Miqqi Alicia has made a point of being out and public and has appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines in Canada and the US, as well as interviews on radio and television. S/he has been the book review editor and regular columnist for Transgender Tapestry, a recipient in 2007 of an IFGE Trinity Award, and Director of Fantasia Fair for 8 years. S/he has presented workshops at numerous trans events including Fantasia Fair, Southern Comfort, Esprit, IFGE and First Event. Hir website is located at: http://gilbert.info.yorku.ca/. Hir newest book, Arguing with People, was published by Broadview Press in the spring of 2014. AIDAN KEY "A Gender Odyssey: Aidan Key’s Journey to Leadership, Education & Activism" Aidan Key is the founder of Gender Diversity, an organization dedicated to providing support and educational services with respect to the inclusion of transgender and gender-diverse children. Key has served as a consultant to dozens of school districts across the United States navigating the questions and concerns regarding transgender K-12 student inclusion. Key is the co-author of Gender Cognition in Transgender Children (Psychological Science 2015), the Trans Bodies, Trans Selves (Oxford University Press, 2014) and Transgender Student Advocacy and Support: Evolving Ethics in a Time of Devolving Policy (presented 2017: Philosophy of Education Society Annual Conference). He facilitates the nation’s largest network of parent support groups and offers trainings and policy development for schools, organizations, and other youth-based agencies across the nation. MARIA SUNDIN "Ending Forced Sterilization in Sweden" Maria Sundin is a senior Swedish trans activist, sexologist and clinical social worker. She has been involved in trans as well as LGBT organizations for the past 25 years. She is a member of the Innovative Response to Global Trans Women and HIV (IRGT). She also serves on the Steering Committee of The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) and is a Board Member of Sweden's LGBTQ Social Democrats. Maria served for a long period as a Board Member of the Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights (RFSL) as well as a Co-chair and Executive Board Member of Transgender Europe (TGEU). She is also extensively involved in trans de-pathologisation, transgender human rights and combatting HIV in our community Stephen Whittle was previously scheduled but is no longer able to attend.

See more videos from the Moving Trans History Forward 2018 playlist on YouTube.

Moving Trans History Forward 2016

Opening Ceremony: Moving Trans History Forward 2016
Moving Trans History Forward: Building Communities - Sharing Connections conference took place at the University of Victoria March 17-20, 2016. Trans and gender non-conforming (GNC) community-based scholars and activists, academics, archivists, librarians, family members, and allies of trans and GNC people will explore preserving and recounting the history of trans and GNC people and communities in all eras and regions of the world. Opening Ceremony: Madison Thomas: Transperson from the Esquimalt Nation Shelagh Rogers: Chancellor, University of Victoria Aaron Devor: Chair in Transgender Studies, Founder and Academic Director, The Transgender Archives Randall Garrison: Member of Parliament, Esquimalt — Saanich — Sooke Twitter: @TransArchives Facebook: UVicTransArchives Instagram: TransArchives YouTube: Transgender Archives Flickr: Transgender Archives @ UVic Sponsored by the Chair in Transgender Studies & The Transgender Archives and UVic. Video production & editing provided by Anna Malkin -- thank you!
Martine Rothblatt: Moving Trans History Forward 2016 Keynote
Moving Trans History Forward: Building Communities - Sharing Connections conference took place at the University of Victoria March 17-20, 2016. Events included: inspiring keynote speakers Martine Rothblatt and Jamison Green, oral presentations, posters, workshops, art exhibits, feature-length trans-themed film Two4One, and panel discussion with founders of trans activism and research. Martine Rothblatt Co-CEO United Therapeutics Keynote speaker Martine Rothblatt, PhD, Co-CEO of United Therapeutics, delivered a virtual keynote address based on her books From Transgender to Transhuman and Virtually Human and Virtually Human: The Promise—and the Peril—of Digital Immortality in which she lays out her vision for a future in which gender dimorphism becomes obsolete, human bodies become optional, and human consciousness has the potential to become immortal through advancements in artificial intelligence. The title of her talk is "From Transgender to Transhuman to Virtually Human." Rothblatt is a tremendously innovative and accomplished trans woman who has a stellar record of creating new advances that have enhanced the lives of people around the globe. She created Geostar satellite navigation, Sirius satellite radio, and United Therapeutics, which saves the lives of lung-disease sufferers and is working to create a limitless supply of organs for transplants. Introduction: Dr. Aaron Devor, Chair in Transgender Studies, Founder and Academic Director, The Transgender Archives Moving Trans History Forward: http://www.uvic.ca/mthf2016/index.php The Transgender Archives: http://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/ Chair in Transgender Studies: http://www.uvic.ca/research/transchair/
Jamison Green: Moving Trans History Forward 2016 - Keynote
Moving Trans History Forward: Building Communities - Sharing Connections conference took place at the University of Victoria March 17-20, 2016. Trans and gender non-conforming (GNC) community-based scholars and activists, academics, archivists, librarians, family members, and allies of trans and GNC people will explore preserving and recounting the history of trans and GNC people and communities in all eras and regions of the world. Keynote Speaker Jamison Green, President of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) speaks on Triumphs and Challenges for Transgender People around the World. Green is internationally known as a leader in transgender health, policy, law, and education. Author of the prize-winning book Becoming a Visible Man, he led FTM International 1991 to 1999. He has served on Boards of numerous trans* organizations and has appeared in over a dozen educational documentary films. His policy work has impacted governments and businesses throughout the world. He is one of the most widely-recognized trans* men in the world today. Twitter: @TransArchives Facebook: UVicTransArchives Instagram: TransArchives YouTube: Transgender Archives Flickr: Transgender Archives @ UVic Sponsored by the Chair in Transgender Studies & The Transgender Archives and UVic. Video production & editing provided by Anna Malkin -- thank you!

See more videos from the Moving Trans History Forward 2016 playlist on YouTube.

Moving Trans History Forward 2014

See more videos from the Moving Trans* History Forward 2014 playlist on YouTube.