It’s always fun to talk about my research into trans history and how to bring it into the classroom in a way that will excite and challenge students. I got to do that recently as a part of a panel on the Queer Pasts project at the Organization of American Historians conference. I talked about my digital exhibit on the Transvestite/Transsexual Legal Committee, Chicago’s first formal trans organization. This exhibit is designed to be easy for instructors to bring straight into the classroom, with a contextualizing essay and a set of screen-reader accessible primary source resources. Our panel also gathered for a conversation recorded by the JAHPodcast that you can listen to below.

I really hope that this digital exhibit and podcast help bring to life trans pasts for students and illustrate some of the challenges of researching trans history. If you use either in your classroom, post a comment and let me know!