Finding "evidence of me" through "evidence of us" : Transgender oral histories and personal archives speak

Book chapter

Riseman, Noah. (2022). Finding "evidence of me" through "evidence of us" : Transgender oral histories and personal archives speak. In In Summerskill, Clare, Tooth Murphy, Amy and Vickers, Emma (Ed.). New directions in queer oral history : Archives of disruption pp. 59-70 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003092032-7
AuthorsRiseman, Noah
EditorsSummerskill, Clare, Tooth Murphy, Amy and Vickers, Emma
Abstract

Since late 2017 the author has been investigating the history of transgender people in Australia. This has included conducting over seventy oral history interviews with past and present transgender activists, public figures, and “ordinary” people. The aim of the oral histories – like the wider project – is to document the changing living experiences of transgender Australians. One striking finding early in this research was that many interview participants have collected personal archives that are invaluable sources. These archives include not only personal papers and photographs, but also extensive media clippings about transgender issues and gender non-conformity, correspondence with government bodies, and records of transgender and other LGBTIQ+ organisations. Some of these personal archives are so extensive that they fill entire rooms. This chapter explores the nexus between oral history interviews and personal archives, focusing on examples from transgender Australians. It explores the ways that oral history methodologies not only record stories, but also expose hitherto hidden records that together enrich the preservation of LGBTIQ+ history.

Page range59-70
Year2022
Book titleNew directions in queer oral history : Archives of disruption
PublisherRoutledge
Place of publicationLondon, United Kingdom
New York, NY
SeriesNew directions in history
ISBN9780367551148
9780367551131
9781003092032
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003092032-7
Web address (URL)https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=6913962
Open accessPublished as green open access
Author's accepted manuscript
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All rights reserved
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Open
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online26 Apr 2022
Print2022
Publication process dates
Deposited18 May 2022
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