Before Gender
Lost Stories from Trans History, 1850-1950
Published on 27. May 2025
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-0-8070-1735-7 (ISBN)
Description
Explore the trailblazing lives of 30 trans people who radically change everything you’ve been told about transgender history
Highlighting influential individuals from 1850-1950 who are all but unknown today, Eli Erlick shares 30 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.
Organized into 4 parts paralleling today’s controversies over gender identity (kids, activists, workers, and athletes), Before Gender introduces figures whose forgotten stories transform the discussion
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.
Highlighting influential individuals from 1850-1950 who are all but unknown today, Eli Erlick shares 30 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.
Organized into 4 parts paralleling today’s controversies over gender identity (kids, activists, workers, and athletes), Before Gender introduces figures whose forgotten stories transform the discussion
- Mark and David Ferrow, two of the first trans teens to access gender-affirming medical treatment following overwhelming support from their friends, family, and neighbors.
- Gerda von Zobeltitz, a trans countess who instigated an LGBTQ+ riot 40 years before Stonewall.
- Frank Williams, a young trans man who was fired from over a dozen jobs for his gender.
- Frances Anderson, the world’s 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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Boston, MA
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
522 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8070-1735-7 (9780807017357)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2025
Beacon Press
€27.99
Available for download
Person
Eli Erlick is an internationally acclaimed activist, author, and educator. In 2011, she founded Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER), a national organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans students. In the years that followed, Erlick has been at the forefront of social justice issues through her research, organizing, and cultural criticism. Blending innovative research with cutting-edge activism, she undertook her doctoral studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. 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. You can learn more about her work at www.elierlick.com.
Content
INTRODUCTION: REWRITING THE NARRATIVE
The Issues
Pop History
Trans Before Gender
Lessons from Lost Trans History
THE KIDS
The Brothers: Mark and David Ferrow
The Outlaw: Effie Smith
The Singer: Masoud El Amaratly
The Shoemaker: Ray Leonard
The Lover: Mabel Stanley
The Girl Bandit: Emma Heinrich
The Horse Thief: Willie Ray
THE ACTIVISTS
The Freed Woman: Sally-Tom
The Countess: Gerda von Zobeltitz
The Petitioner: Carl Crawford
The Runaway: Mollie Wilson
The Healer: Muksamse’lapli
The Pacifist: Sadie Acosta
The Community Leader: Georgia Black
The Guardian: Okiyo
The Professor: Maude Milbourne
THE WORKERS
The Maid: Josephine Robinson
The Cobra Woman: Elsie Marks
The Dancer: Albín Pleva
The Florist: John Berger
The Butler: Alfred Grouard
The Craftswoman: Ann Storcy
The Boy-of-All-Work: Frank Williams
THE ATHLETES
The Billiardist: Frances Anderson
The Matador: Agustín Rodríguez
The Pentathlete: Stefan Pekar
The Wrestler: Bill Winters
The Teammates: Léon Caurla and Pierre Brésolles
CONCLUSION: A NEW GENDER HISTORY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES
INDEX
The Issues
Pop History
Trans Before Gender
Lessons from Lost Trans History
THE KIDS
The Brothers: Mark and David Ferrow
The Outlaw: Effie Smith
The Singer: Masoud El Amaratly
The Shoemaker: Ray Leonard
The Lover: Mabel Stanley
The Girl Bandit: Emma Heinrich
The Horse Thief: Willie Ray
THE ACTIVISTS
The Freed Woman: Sally-Tom
The Countess: Gerda von Zobeltitz
The Petitioner: Carl Crawford
The Runaway: Mollie Wilson
The Healer: Muksamse’lapli
The Pacifist: Sadie Acosta
The Community Leader: Georgia Black
The Guardian: Okiyo
The Professor: Maude Milbourne
THE WORKERS
The Maid: Josephine Robinson
The Cobra Woman: Elsie Marks
The Dancer: Albín Pleva
The Florist: John Berger
The Butler: Alfred Grouard
The Craftswoman: Ann Storcy
The Boy-of-All-Work: Frank Williams
THE ATHLETES
The Billiardist: Frances Anderson
The Matador: Agustín Rodríguez
The Pentathlete: Stefan Pekar
The Wrestler: Bill Winters
The Teammates: Léon Caurla and Pierre Brésolles
CONCLUSION: A NEW GENDER HISTORY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES
INDEX