Introduction
Gender Identity and Gender Expression are areas of everyday life that have developed over time and differently within various cultures and societies. Within the United States there are Revolutionary War stories of women impersonating men in order to fight, or as some suggest, to break away from the expectations placed on women. Gender Identity and Expression are complex topics, and the history of them is no different. Today, we see the harmful and fierce debates surrounding athletics and gender identity across the nation and around the world. Here in Pennsylvania a handful of state lawmakers introduced a bill seeking to ban transgender students from participating in athletic programs that fit the students’ gender identity, but not the one they were assigned.
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Sophie Kandler talks about her younger days and when she started dressing in clothes deemed not to fit her gender. Her life covers the span of this exhibit and connects with the events and developments regarding gender identity and expression.
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Members of TransCentral PA tabling at the 2017 York Equality Fest
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In exploring the history of Gender Identity and Expression in Central PA, one can see the historical development of communities, organizations, and peoples that played and continue to have an influence on both local and national thinking around gender identity and expression. From the entertainment of female impersonators to the promulgation of the International Gender Bill of Rights, the vital role of the people of Central PA can be seen and felt.
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Through your exploration of this exhibit, it is hoped that you go on further to learn about gender expression and identity. Especially since they are often simplified or overlooked in media, politics, historical narratives, and other spaces. By putting this exhibit together, the LGBTQ+ communities of Central PA and the nation grow in historical diversity.
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Logo for TransCentral PA’s Keystone Conference
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Jeanine Ruhsam speaks to Dr. Rauhut’s class at Dickinson College – Photograph - Undated
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Philly Trans March is an annual protest against the hate, social injustice, and inequity faced by trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals and communities.
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