Before Trans: gender identity in the pre-modern world

Long before contemporary terminology, how did societies understand and categorise gender beyond simple male/female distinctions?

This thought-provoking talk delves into historical, archaeological, and anthropological evidence from diverse cultures around the globe to explore various forms of gender identity and expression in the pre-modern world. We will examine historical accounts, cultural roles, and spiritual traditions that acknowledged or embodied identities that today we might associate with transgender, non-binary, or other gender-diverse experiences. This presentation invites us to reconsider common assumptions about gender’s history and offers a richer understanding of human diversity across time.