By DIEDRE GRAY It’s been said many times “this trans thing is just so new!” The reality is that trans and nonbinary folx have walked the Earth in every culture since the beginning of time–both visibly and discreetly.
Sometimes referred to as: eunuch, mukhannathun, two-spirit, transexual or, in our modern terms, transgender, trans and nonbinary folx are found in the Bible, the Qur’an, as well as ancient Chinese texts and Indigenous cultures.
Then why isn’t that history better known? There are a great many national and international trans and nonbinary people in world history.
Here at the local level, since its founding in 2000, the Rainbow History Project has been documenting them as part of its work to collect, preserve and promote the history and culture of diverse LGBTQ communities.