Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Trans/forming Feminisms: Transfeminist Voices Speak Out

Trans/forming Feminisms: Transfeminist Voices Speak Out

Edited by Krista Scott-Dixon

Though gender analysis is the very foundation of feminism, the more complex intersections of transsexuality are often overlooked, and feminism has not always welcomed the participation of trans activists and thinkers.

In this groundbreaking anthology, feminist scholar and trans ally Krista Scott-Dixon takes on the challenge of moving us towards more inclusive transfeminist politics. The 30 essays reflect academic, personal and political perspectives of contributors from Canada, the U.S. and Europe. These include well-known activists and scholars in the field — Bobby Noble, barbara findlay, Miqqi Alicia/Michael Gilbert, Kyle Scanlon, Talia Bettcher, Joshua Goldberg and Caroline White — as well as fresh new voices.

The book is divided into five sections to highlight the intersections between trans and feminist ideas. 'Narratives and Voices' builds on the feminist idea of consciousness-raising, speaking from individual experiences and questions of how to represent oneself in language. 'Identities and Alliances' takes up questions of how identities are produced, maintained and reproduced, and how diverse identities can work collectively. 'Inclusion and Exclusion' examines the notion of 'safe spaces' and 'women-only spaces' in the context of trans challenges such as the Kimberly Nixon v. Vancouver Rape Relief Society case and the entrance policies of the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. 'Shelter and Violence' explores the service-provision policies of shelters, as well as the sex-gender system that supports transphobic abuse. The final section, 'Teaching and Transgressing,' looks at pedagogy and classroom practice, critiquing tools of the trade and identifying ways that instructors can bring critical gender studies into the classrooms. The section introductions contextualize the discussion and identify key issues. The collection concludes with suggestions for future research and activism.

Trans/forming Feminisms is an invaluable collection for social justice activists, progressive academics and students, and readers interested in tackling these compelling and challenging issues.


About the Author: Krista Scott-Dixon supervises the development of a research database on gender and work at York University. She also teaches undergraduate courses on work, women and technology, and is the author of Doing IT: Women Working in Information Technology (Sumach Press, 2004).

For more information or to book an interview with the
editor, please contact publicist Dayle Furlong at
sumachpublicity@yahoo.ca

Sumach Press
1415 Bathurst Street, Suite 202
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5R 3H8
http://www.sumachpress.com

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