Before Gender: Eli Erlick brings us lost stories from trans history

Discover the trailblazing lives of thirty trans people who will radically change everything you've been told about transgender history.

Before Gender chronicles trans people...growing up, working, falling in love, getting in trouble, playing sports and building community as we’ve always done and always will do - Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer

We are so lucky to have a gifted storyteller unearth these lost tales of our trans and nonbinary forebears, and weave them all together into this heartwarming, uplifting book. Before Gender shows that history can be both entertaining and impactful while addressing the most pressing issues for trans people today. - Kate Bornstein, author of Gender Outlaw

Organized into 4 parts paralleling the struggle for queer safety and liberation today (kids, activists, workers, and athletes), Before Gender introduces figures whose stories were previously lost to the archives.

Eli Erlick is an internationally acclaimed activist, author and educator. In 2011, she founded Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER), an organisation dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans students. Since then, she has been at the forefront of social justice issues through her research, organising and cultural criticism. Erlick's work and writing have been featured in hundreds of outlets, including the New York Times, Time Magazine and the Washington Post. She lives in New York City, where she continues to fight for trans liberation.