Jonah I. Garde’s Publication.
How are trans* histories entangled with and shaped by modernity and coloniality?
Set in early 20th century Austria, Dr. Garde’s new book Trans* Geschichten der Moderne: »Geschlechtsumwandlung« im 20. Jahrhundert und ihre kolonialen Geister explores this question and offers an in-depth analysis of how ‘sex change,’ both as an idea and a medical practice, was reshaped in the early 20th century by modern medicine and biology, mass popular culture, as well as colonial discourses.
The book’s focus not only highlights Austria’s distinct historical context but also underscores its centrality in global discussions on the coloniality and modernity of sex and its mutability. In doing so, the book raises important questions about how our perspective on trans* historiography—its content and subjects—changes when colonial history and its haunting legacies are placed at the center. How does this shift not only reshape our understanding of what trans* history is but also reveal the colonial ghosts that continue to haunt its narratives today?
To learn more and read the open access publication, visit the publisher’s website.
