Do you know Mary Mudge? What about Michael Dillon or Mark Weston? These are just a few of the names of trans + people from British history who lived in the 19th and early 20th centuries and who serve as reminders that trans stories have always existed, whether or not we have been taught about them.
Long ago, the portrayal of transgender story was distorted or even completely removed. Trans + History Week honors and acknowledges the fact that we can now track gay histories, nations, and societies back hundreds of years. The initiative, which will run from May 6 to May 12, 2024, will be a week-long initiative started by the QueerAF, an independent LGBTQIA + platform, to bring together the work of trans + archivers, history-takers, and content producers. The year serves as an tribute to the rich history of transgender, non-binary, gender-balanced, and trans individuals.
The initiative represents an opportunity for Marty Davies, the creator of Trans + History Week and Co-CEO of Outvertising, to “deliver the” trans + history lesson we never had. The “gender diverse ancient ancestors” who came before us are now regularly remembered during Trans + History Week.
In order to learn more about the start of Trans + History Week and her plans to immerse others in the group’s rich queer history, GAY TIMES speaks with Davies.
Can you discuss your goals for the establishment of the new knowledge month?
I published an op-ed to make the case and announced the start of Trans + History Week for 06–12 May 2024 in QueerAF. In it, I discuss noticing that we hear trans + people being dismissed in contemporary discourse—in our advertising, politics, and online. We are referred to as a fad, an philosophy, and an impossibility.
When historical evidence of our life has been improperly contextualized, remained illegal, or been completely destroyed—all in an effort to erase us—the unsafe and dehumanizing notion that we are a modern fashion or” cultural contagion” takes hold.
It implies that we do n’t have a past. It conveys to our world that we are also not allowed at this time. Additionally, it deprives us of the notion that we have a potential. The reaction from some online has been to comment on how small the week will be and accuse us of making up story, which is predictable and serves as evidence of why it is so necessary.
This occurs as a result of not telling our story. We must show it, too.
What are the main goals of Trans + History Week?
In our struggle for equality and justice, story is a potent tool. Therefore, the primary goal of Trans + History Week is to motivate us to understand our stories.
The term” trans +” has been coined to refer to all of the different ways that people define and describe their relationship to their own gender or lack thereof. to include all female variety. This term includes people who identify as transgender, non-binary, nonbinary, bigender and gender nonconforming, as well as anyone else who describes their gender in different ways. And people act in a variety of additional techniques. This expression even includes transgender individuals who have a wide range of sexe-related traits.
I want the week to be motivating and free of stress. We can learn a lot from our innovators and history-makers. We’ll accomplish this as a QueerAF rocket job by hiring Trans + creative talent to contribute.
Why is it crucial to research trans + history at this time?
Over the past five years, the amount of sensationalized and twisted news and opinion pieces about transgender individuals has increased by more than 400 %. Hate violence has more than doubled in the same time span and is currently at all-time highs. A quarter of Brits then feel negatively about transgender people, according to a YouGov report from earlier this year.
As a communications strategist, it comes as no surprise to me that this may result from an ever-intensifying plan of monstering. And things only seem to be deteriorating. Trans individuals and immigrants will be used as scapegoats by politicians in 2024 to cover up their own social shortcomings.
