{"product_id":"before-gender-eli-erlick-9780807017357","title":"Before Gender: Lost Stories from Trans History, 1850-1950","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn expansive exploration of the exciting lives of 30 trans people from 1850-1950 that radically changes everything you've been told about transgender history\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFocusing on 30 influential individuals who are all but unknown today, activist, writer, and educator Eli Erlick highlights how trans people of the past were much more vibrant, creative, and respected than in the popular imagination. These remarkable stories range from romance to rebellion and mystery to murder, all exploring the grit, joy, and survival of trans people before the word gender entered our vocabulary. Together, each narrative provides new insights into the self-determination of transgender figures that will change the world for trans people today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOrganized in 4 parts, each section corresponds to today's controversies over gender identity: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKids \u003c\/b\u003efeatures 7 stories of young trans people, including brothers \u003cb\u003eMark and David Ferrow\u003c\/b\u003e, who became two of the first children to access transgender medical treatment following overwhelming support from their friends, family, and neighbors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eActivists \u003c\/b\u003efollows 9 influential individuals, like \u003cb\u003eSally-Tom\u003c\/b\u003e, a trans woman recently freed from slavery, who won the first known government approval for a legal change of sex, and \u003cb\u003eGerda von Zobeltitz\u003c\/b\u003e, a trans countess who instigated a forgotten LGBTQ+ riot 40 years before Stonewall.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWorkers\u003c\/b\u003e tracks the lives of 7 figures like snake charmer \u003cb\u003eElise Marks\u003c\/b\u003e and florist \u003cb\u003eJohn Berger\u003c\/b\u003e, who were forced to hide their trans status to find employment, love, and safety.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAthletes\u003c\/b\u003e highlights 5 competitors, including the world's greatest female billiards player of the 1910s, trans woman \u003cb\u003eFrancis Anderson\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBold and visionary, Erlick's debut lifts these stories from the depths of the archives to narrate trans lives in a way that has never been attempted before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Eli Erlick\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0807017353\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780807017357\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Beacon Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/27\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs","brand":"Eli Erlick","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46372666736895,"sku":"9780807017357","price":28.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_0b1adedb-fd67-4515-867d-d0d3d3c15795.jpg?v=1732726603","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/before-gender-eli-erlick-9780807017357","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}