tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6712640935255311366.post2184372899193219110..comments2024-03-25T14:26:47.657-04:00Comments on A Gender Variance Who's Who: A Review of Darryl Hill's Trans Toronto: An Oral HistoryZagriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15124379637664963835noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6712640935255311366.post-20549546359987878282013-06-04T11:46:10.414-04:002013-06-04T11:46:10.414-04:00Blanchard and Freund are inevitably mentioned in a...Blanchard and Freund are inevitably mentioned in an account of Trans Toronto in that the University of Toronto is where they were located. Raymond is in Massachusettes. Hill's comments on Raymond are non-original, even knee-jerk, and dishonest in not discussing her as transphobic. His discussion of her adds neither to his book nor to the discussion of her. A good peer reviewer would have suggested to him that he either leave her out or write an expanded section giving the interviewees' opinions of her.<br /><br />It took me 2 minutes to figure out that Miqqi is Michael Gilbert. Hill, as I say above, does taunt us that some of the interviewees are known in the trans community and therefore is challenging us to identify them. There is no discussion in the book re a possible conflict between the historian's tendency to identify people and the sociologist's tendency to respect confidentiality. I did not comment on the lives and stories of the interviewees as the chopped up snippets and quotes that Hill gives us do not constitute stories. <br /><br />You also fail to pick up on the fact that I reviewed Kris Kirk's Men in Frocks a few days later. I juxtaposed them to show that Kirk's book is a far superior example of oral history.<br /><br />"facts from peer-reviewed sources" -- is that what Hill told you to excuse why he took no facts from this blog?Zagriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15124379637664963835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6712640935255311366.post-57513235671008647892013-06-03T20:55:02.758-04:002013-06-03T20:55:02.758-04:00I was interested to read your review of Trans Toro...I was interested to read your review of Trans Toronto, but I feel the need to comment on a few points.<br /><br />Admittedly, some readers might find the focus on postmodern theory off-putting, but those who are a little academically-minded might be sympathetic as postmodern gender theory was very much a part of the late 1990s, the period studied by this book.<br /><br />To me, this book is not THE history of trans Toronto (and it doesn’t pretend to be), but really the start of serious work on the topic. The book puts people’s stories into historical context; a full accounting of the history of Toronto’s trans life was not the point to this book. It was not attempting to provide a definitive history, but rather the opposite—a specific history of time and place. It sounds like you are someone who is writing that general history of trans Toronto.<br /><br />I don’t find problems with the facts of the history represented in this book. Trans Toronto relied on facts from peer-reviewed sources supplemented with primary research from the Toronto Lesbian and Gay Archive and of course, from the participants in the oral history. As a historian, you know sometimes historical facts are debatable, and I’m glad to see you’re helping to work out the details.<br /><br />It seems a little unfair to criticize Trans Toronto for reviewing Raymond’s work (which was central to late 1990s gender debates) due to her transphobia, yet you cite Blanchard, Bailey, and the like. Not sure I see much difference. I was also disappointed that you seemed more interested in figuring out who each narrator was rather than to comment on their stories, lives, and challenges. There are remarkable stories that depict what it was like to be trans and live in Toronto during this time.<br /><br />Yes, the book has some weaknesses, but as you say, so far it is the only book on trans Toronto history. Let’s hope that it will start a dialogue that will begin to better document the history of this vibrant community.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com