Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, By Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett

These illustrated stories from co-creators Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett (also partners in life) aren’t the ones that have been immortalized in history books, because in many cases, transgender people weren’t writing those books or being encouraged to share their stories. But trans folks are the creative force behind this graphic novel, and it shows.

An accessible resource

That energy begins with the choice to assemble this information as a graphic novel, which makes history more approachable and accessible to readers of all ages. While part of trans history is gender-affirming medical care (and the cis people with an unhealthy obsession over the private parts of trans folks), Combs and Eakett aren’t making a biology textbook. There’s no nudity (one story substitutes with an illustration of an eggplant). But this book is meant to be a resource.

By assigning each chapter a color, Eakett (who colored most of the book and assisted with the writing) has made it easier to locate information. The authors take care not to bog down the pages with too many words. The results are eye-opening. Combs is extremely transparent about his research, to a degree that underlines our current political climate and anticipates the inevitable anti-trans pushback and claims of “woke-washing” (when all these authors are doing is uncovering history). Beyond a works cited section, and pointing to a PDF on Combs’s website that readers can turn to for more information, he often credits the individual photographs used as background for the drawings right next to them on the page.

Necessary creative license

What stands out the most, though, is the decision to highlight instances where photographs weren't available and creative license was required when depicting some of the people covered in the book. Names can be forgotten, but when you put a face to a person, their stories can resonate more, and Combs provides those visuals. In acknowledging these missing images Combs also hits on the book’s larger thesis about the importance of archives and preserving trans history going forward, so that future generations have more to go on than arrest records, which (despite their biases) are some of the lasting records Combs is able to utilize to show that trans people have been around for ages.

From Ancient Egypt to Medieval Europe to present-day America, Combs and Eakett have arranged this book in chronological order for ease of use and to show how discussions and awareness about transgender identities have evolved over time. Again, Combs braces himself at every turn for counterarguments and takes care to acknowledge the limits of his research and the unknowns that remain, including not treating certain terms as interchangeable, or making assumptions about how people would identify today based on 2025 perspectives.

Trans stories persist

Yes, a lot of stories and details have been lost, in many cases deliberately (as with the book burnings at some of the first institutes for sexual science in Germany when the Nazis came to power), yet it's telling how many stories remain despite those efforts. Attempts to erase trans people aren't new. Those attempts have just never been successful.

Patterns emerge thanks to books like Trans History, including a realization of how many of the doctors who stepped up first in helping trans people were part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or how many programs were funded by trans millionaire Reed Erickson. It's here that Combs gets to show off his sense of humor, too, like giving Harry Benjamin a “Still just a person” trophy (because, for all the great achievements these doctors made, they were flawed, too). But the LGBTQIA+ community shouldn’t have to take all the risks. Allies need to pull their weight, too.

Combs and Eackett never ignore the abuses trans people have endured, but they don’t paint the trans experience as tragic, either. The final story included is a memorial comic for trans activist Rose Wong, who was originally interviewed for this book but died by suicide before her contribution was completed. We owe it to the memory of Wong and so many others to educate ourselves on the vast, varied, and long-standing history of trans people. It's a history that needs to be preserved and shared with the world, and Trans History is an important contribution to that movement.