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Guide to the National Transgender Library collection
2001-15
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Table of contents
Title: Finding aid of the National Transgender Library
Dates: 1962-1999
Bulk Dates: 1983-1999
Collection number: 2001-15
Collection Size:
4 boxes
Repository:
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
San Francisco, California 94105
Abstract: Dallas Denny, an Atlanta-based activist and writer organized the National Transgender Library and Archives in the early 1980s.
In 1990 she founded the American Educational Gender Information Service (AEGIS) to make referrals and disseminate information
on gender dysphoria. This is a small but rich collection documenting various aspects of transgender life.
Physical location: Stored at the Archives of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society in San Francisco, California
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection open for research.
Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials has been transferred to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
[Identification of item], [Name of Series], National Transgender Library collection, 2001-15, The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender Historical Society.
Julie Herrada, on behalf of the University of Michigan, donated this collection on March 27, 2001. The collection is a small
part of the National Transgender Library, which was organized by Dallas Denny and donated in its entirety to the University
of Michigan; the GLBTHS collection consists of duplicates and materials not of interest to the University of Michigan.
Biography / Administrative History
The National Transgender Library was the project of Dallas Denny, an Atlanta-based activist, writer, and organizer in the
transgender community. She began compiling materials for the library in the early eighties, adding to her personal files;
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection contains a wide range of transgender material, from popular representations of transgendered individuals,
to medical reports, to advertisements for
This collection has six series. The first series, and the largest, consists of periodicals specifically related to transgender
issues and cross-dressing. Most are small Atlanta based journals that deal with some topic (such as performance technique,
acceptance, spirituality) in the cross-dressing community. A few are larger circulation medical journals or popular culture
magazines with a cover story on transgender issues. These periodicals do not contain a full run; most folders contain less
than five issues of any one periodical. The periodicals are organized alphabetically.
The second series consists of conference and workshop materials, some of which Dallas Denny attended or presented at, and
others which she did not appear to attend. Each folder contains the materials from one conference, including lists of speakers,
events, and brochures. The folders are organized chronologically, by the date of the conference, from 1987-1997.
The third series consists of AEGIS materials, taken in original order from two large binders. These folders contain hundreds
of articles on cross-dressing, sex reassignment surgery, and events in the transgender community. Many articles relate specifically
to AEGIS; some are written by AEGIS members. This series also contains a small collection of photographs taken at an award
ceremony for entertainer Caroline Cossey, and a folder of Ms. Denny?s business correspondence.
The Shopping series contains catalogues, order forms, and directories for large-sized women?s shoes, wigs, lingerie, sex toys,
cosmetics, and erotic novels. The material is broken down into ?mass circulation? catalogues, and catalogues marketed specifically
to cross-dressers or transgendered individuals.
The Medical series is comprised of pamphlets and brochures on electrolysis, breast prosthetics, and hormones. Also included
are descriptions of sex reassignment surgery, medical advisories, and a document on Standards of Care for transsexuals.
The last series consists of miscellaneous flyers and announcements from Atlanta, newsletters from local and national transgender
groups, guides to transgender organizations,
This collection is organized in # series:
- Series 1. Periodicals
- Series 2. Conference and Workshop Materials
- Series 3. Aegis Materials
- Series 4. Shopping
- Series 5. Medical
- Series 6. Miscellaneous
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Transgender people