“Second Wave Trans Feminism” with Emily Cousens

You may think that second wave feminism and trans activism are mutually exclusive but guess what: there is actually a whole lot of diversity in second wave feminist theory, writing, activism and print culture. Emily Cousens has done lots of archival research to highlight trans thinking and the way it has informed and shaped second wave feminism. Listen to our conversation to learn more about the grassroots movements, trans newsletters and gendernonconforming thinkers that make the second wave trans.

References:

Emily Cousens’ Trans Feminist Epistemologies in the US Second Wave (Palgrave, 2023)

University of Victoria Archives

GLBT Historical Society San Francisco

Digital Transgender Archive https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/

Louise Lawrence Archive San Francisco

Ms Bob Davis

Virginia Prince

Transvestia

Foundation for Full Personality Expression (FPE)

STAR Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries

Black Lives Matter

Sisters Uncut

Combahee River Collective

Foucault

Barbara Smith

Judith Butler

Maxine Wolf

Lesbian Avengers

Dyke March

DressingDykes (Eleanor Medhurst) https://dressingdykes.com/2022/03/25/clothing-culture-at-the-lesbian-conference/

Tri Sigma Heterosexual Crossdresser’s Society

Robert Stoller

John Money

Kate Millet

Gayle Rubin

Margo Schulter

Meg-John Barker

Leslie Feinberg

Beth Elliott

Sandy Stone

Radclyffe Hall’s The Well of Loneliness

Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:

1. What is second wave feminism and how is it frequently misrepresented?
2. Why are trans studies and second wave feminism often viewed as incompatible? What are Emily’s thoughts on this?
3. What are some of the sources Emily works with? How is print culture defined here?
4. Who is John Money? Why is he significant?
5. How does Emily describe the role of nonbinary and intersex people in their research?
6. How are trans men and trans women viewed differently in second wave feminism?