First-time graphic co-creators Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett--who are neurodivergent, trans, and partners--present their illuminating Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present, an informative antidote to the accelerating misinformation surrounding trans people, further necessitated by the "unprecedented number of anti-trans laws introduced and passed in the US."
The duo's goals are three-fold: to dispel myths that trans people are a new phenomenon; highlight the diversity of trans experiences; and empower trans people. They open in 4000 BCE with Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar/Inana, notable for having followers "whose maleness Ishtar turned female, for the awe of the people." Ancient Egypt had Pharoah Hatshepsut, "raised to be a queen but instead became a king." Fourteenth-century sex worker "John Rykener, calling [herself] Eleanor" claimed in court that "Priests pay the best." Meanwhile, throughout the Americas, European colonialism attempted to destroy Indigenous understanding and presentations of non-binary gender. Subsequent chapters consider the science of sexology and the conversation around medicalization, then explore trans activism and media representation. Chapter five proves most affecting with real-life (and death) experiences of being trans, including Eakett's personal story.
Chapters feature color-coded palettes, visually dividing topics and historical periods. Various illustrative styles throughout include meticulously detailed realism and simplified cartoon-like characterizations. The creators readily admit their "specific viewpoint" as "two trans white-passing Americans raised in the US." They thoughtfully balance their "culturally dominant Western biases" with the work and words of an impressive cast of historians and scholars, while carefully annotating and indexing sources. An impressive village emerges to share a diverse history more necessary than ever. --Terry Hong