Book - Female Masculinity?

[EdgeOfACoin]

Has anyone read this book or is familiar with the authors?

It is by Judith Halberstam and Jack Halberstam. I don't know much about it.

I ask because wayyyy back when I was a teen in the '90s reading' 90s teen magazines, I remember reading an article about a very young ftm transitioner (only 9 years old). The transitioner's name was Fredd. I've mentioned this article on this board before.

The article stuck in my mind because it was the first time I had ever come across a discussion of puberty blockers being used to prevent puberty.

Anyway, I've thought a lot about this half-remembered article and have done some digging.

The article must have been based on a BBC series called The Wrong Body that was broadcast in 1995. Does anyone remember it? Does anyone know how to access old BBC series?

The book discusses the TV series and Fredd's transition.

It's possible to view a page of the book here:
books.google.co.uk/books?id=UYAi9OEYRekC&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=%22Fredd%22+transition+ftm&source=bl&ots=aQx5FyPZFq&sig=ACfU3U3qqGmzE7CmhPpfnfI44yfIrrb-Dw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiemvftoP7vAhWf8LsIHTNyASMQ6AEwCnoECBEQAg#v=onepage&q=%22Fredd%22%20transition%20ftm&f=false

I think it would be fascinating to see how this subject of child transitioners was treated in 1995 and I'm curious about the book's take too.

I genuinely can't remember how Fredd proposed to get hold of the PBs (as they weren't in common use in the UK at the time, AFAIK), whether the mission to get them was successful or what happened to Fredd in later life.

Interestingly, I'm pretty sure I remember Fredd's pre-transition name as well, but don't want to include it here in case the post gets pulled for deadnaming (I don't know if it would). I guess deadnaming was not so much of an issue in 1995?

I assumed married or siblings!

@CrazyNeighbour

Are Judith and Jack the same person?

I was confused by Judith/Jack too.

Wikipedia says that they are the same person who uses both names and also uses both male and female pronouns.

That's interestkng. The book which was scanned by Google books (2003 edition of 1998 book?) is just by Judith. There's an 'about the author' at the back. It doesnt mention Jack. But the Google books catalogue entry for the book gives the authors as Judith & Jack.

I vaguely remember the TV programme you are referring to EdgeOfACoin, it wasn't BBC but this Channel 4 production.

www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7f073068

Fun fact I found out whilst searching for that link, Jay Stewart of Gendered Intelligence was also watching that documentary back in 1996. He talks about it in the first few pages of his Doctoral Thesis

research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/11257/1/VIS_thesis_StewartJ_2015.pdf

They are the same person. “Judith” now uses “Jack”. They are one of the “stars “ of American queer theory.

I remember watching that C4 show at the time. I found it fascinating and would love to see it again and see how I react to it now. I was still in my 20s when I saw it and just remember being quite affected by it. It stayed with me for a long time after. Be so interesting to see it some 25 years later with the perspective of being a parent to teenagers and being so engaged around the issue of transitioning children and gender identity politics. Does anyone know if you can watch it anywhere? I’ve searched and searched to no avail.

Interesting it was C4 - the book extract said BBC.

And interesting the programme was called 'The Wrong Body', given that people seem to be dropping this phrasing now. I don't know if the programme promoted the idea that people felt as though they were in the wrong body or were actually born in the wrong body.

Thanks for the link, ThingyBob

I note it said this: The five featured are female to male transexuals who fly to Amsterdam and Utrecht as they prepare for the mental and physical upheaval of hormone treatment and surgery.

This chimes with what I remember - Fredd needed to go abroad for PBs. In 1995 they weren't being handed out by the NHS.

Oh, I see the series was broadcast in 1996, not 1995. Looks like Judith/Jack's book is a bit hazy on the details again here too.

Okay I am going to stop writing on my own thread soon, I promise!

I found this interview about the TV series:

rainbowreeltokyo.com/99/English/interview/zacharynataf.html

Here's a bit that jumped out at me:

TILGFF: In Japan, transgender and transexual visibility is very low. For that reason, some in our audience may not understand the difference between "transsexual" and "transgender."

ZN: Transsexuals whose gender identity is in conflict with their natal gender assignment usually want to achieve congruence of identity, role and anatomy through living full-time in the desired gender role and having sex reassignment surgery. The word transgender was originally used to distinguish full-time non-surgical cross-dressers from transsexuals and from transvestites who cross-dress part time.