209 The Politics of Transgender History Noah Riseman

Noah Riseman is Professor of History. He specialises in Australian histories of sexuality, gender and race. He is author or co-author of five books, including: Defending Country: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Military Service since 1945 (2016); Serving in Silence? Australian LGBT Servicemen and Women (2018); Indigenous Peoples and the Second World War: The Politics, Experiences and Legacies of War in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (2019); Pride in Defence: The Australian Military and LGBTI Service since 1945 (2020).

His latest book is Transgender Australia: A History Since 1910 (2023). This is the first book on Australian trans history exploring the lives and impacts of trans and gender-diverse Australians.

Trans and gender-diverse people have always been present in Australian life, whether they've lived quiet lives in the country, performed in cabaret shows, worked on the streets or run for parliament. But over the last century there have been remarkable changes in how they have identified and expressed themselves.

Drawing on over a hundred oral history interviews and previously unexamined documents and media reports, it highlights how trans people have tried to live authentically while navigating a society that often treated them like outcasts.

Hear from Noah on:

1. What is the (brief) historical narrative around transgender and gender diverse people in Australia?
2. Transgender Australia is the first book to chart the changing social, medical, legal and lived experiences of trans and gender diverse people in Australia since 1910. Why is that has been largely ignored by historians previously? I noted the 2016 Census counted 1,260 sex and/or gender diverse people in Australia.
3. How did you navigate the best way to provide this discussion – noting you did interview a range of trans and gender diverse people for the book?
4. What ways have transgender people been able to create a new perspective on cultural diversity in Australia?
5. Are there any specific experiences unique to Australia?
6. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Transgender History?

Connect with Noah:

Noah Riseman (@NoahRiseman) / X (twitter.com)

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