Periodic Reporting for period 1 - trans-argentina (Was Sex Inflexible? Practices, Knowledge, Techniques, and Technologies of “Sex Change” Embodiment in Argentina during the Twentieth Century)
Reporting period: 2020-10-15 to 2022-10-14
“Was Sex Inflexible? Practices, Knowledge, Techniques, and Technologies of “Sex Change” Embodiment in Argentina during the Twentieth Century” explores the making of trans* bodies in Argentina during the twentieth century. More concretely, It (i) analyzes the history of a wide repertoire of medical and social practices such as gender affirmation surgeries, the self-injection of industrial silicone or hormones, among others; (ii) it examines the transformations of the notion of sex and the development of the multiple meanings that doctors, patients, social movements, sexual dissidents, writers, journalists, and judges assigned to it; and (iii) it establishes a connection between trans* embodiment practices and gender-normative technologies for cisgender men and women.
Argentina prohibited any intervention that led to sterilization from 1944 (decree N° 6216) and prohibited surgeries that affected reproductive organs from 1967 (law Nº 17132). Different legal codes had penalized homosexual and trans* public sociability from the 1930s onwards, with explicit condemnation of people who dressed as the “opposite sex”. This criminalisation transformed trans* people’s daily lives into public transgressions and threatened their right to existence. Moreover, criminalisation made sex change procedures clandestine, expensive and dangerous, contributing to the low life expectancy of trans people.
Through original archival research, interviews with the trans population and doctors specialized in gender affirmation treatment, and collaboration with grassroots organizations such as the Trans Memory Archive and Trans Women Argentina, this project shows how “sex change” practices and discourses played an important role in re-shaping the modern notion of sex as a central legal, medical, cultural and social bodily logic. It studies how sex changed due to the consolidation of medical fields such as endocrinology, the global circulation of sexology, the popularization of homemade technologies, and the rise of visible new sexual identities. This interaction made available new medical procedures for the first time, as some doctors who developed gender affirmation treatment were prohibited by law. Likewise, people who were seeking to transition to a new gender also developed homemade technologies and techniques with which to embody a new gender.
Argentina prohibited any intervention that led to sterilization from 1944 (decree N° 6216) and prohibited surgeries that affected reproductive organs from 1967 (law Nº 17132). Different legal codes had penalized homosexual and trans* public sociability from the 1930s onwards, with explicit condemnation of people who dressed as the “opposite sex”. This criminalisation transformed trans* people’s daily lives into public transgressions and threatened their right to existence. Moreover, criminalisation made sex change procedures clandestine, expensive and dangerous, contributing to the low life expectancy of trans people.
Through original archival research, interviews with the trans population and doctors specialized in gender affirmation treatment, and collaboration with grassroots organizations such as the Trans Memory Archive and Trans Women Argentina, this project shows how “sex change” practices and discourses played an important role in re-shaping the modern notion of sex as a central legal, medical, cultural and social bodily logic. It studies how sex changed due to the consolidation of medical fields such as endocrinology, the global circulation of sexology, the popularization of homemade technologies, and the rise of visible new sexual identities. This interaction made available new medical procedures for the first time, as some doctors who developed gender affirmation treatment were prohibited by law. Likewise, people who were seeking to transition to a new gender also developed homemade technologies and techniques with which to embody a new gender.
The researcher covered a wide range of activities of research, collaboration with multiple stakeholders, and dissemination activities.
Research: The project combined long archival research in both traditional and community-based archives and interviews with more than twenty trans people that transitioned before 1998.
1) Dissemination
1.1. Simonetto has presented advances of the project at multiple universities in Europe and the Americas.
1.2. He has published three research four, two book chapters, and four blog posts for a broader audience. As a final output of the research, the researcher will publish a monograph entitled A Body of One's Own. A Trans* History of Argentina (University of Texas Press) is scheduled for January 2024.
1.3. The researcher introduced work on the trans history of "sex change" in teaching undergraduate and graduate students at UCL and developed the Postgraduate modules "Latin American and Latinx Sexualities" fueling the debates about queer and trans studies at UCL.
2) Civil Society
2.1. . In the project context and in collaboration with Mir Yarfitz, the researcher organized the workshop "Latin American Trans Histories", which brings together scholars, policymakers, and activists. The two days events also included a virtual exhibition in collaboration with the Archivo de la Memoria TRans (Argentina), Museu de Arte e Historia Trans (Brazil), Acervo Pajubá (Brazil), Archivo Q'uiwa (Bolivia).
2.2. He organized public lectures in Argentina and Germany in Collaboration with Trans Women Argentina and the Trans Memory Archive.
3) Policymaking
3.1 The researcher collaborated with public lectures with the Argentine Foreign Office and the National Secretary of Diversity Politics of Argentina - the trans activist Alba Rueda.
3.2. In collaboration with the University of Cologne (Germany), the project co-hosted a workshop of conversation between Argentinian and german policymakers about the history and challenges of trans rights both in Argentina and Germany. In this context, they discussed issues related to trans healthcare vital for this project.
3.3 Transcription of the conversation between the Argentine Special Envoy in Gender Identity Alba Rueda and the German MP Nyke Slavic will be published in the Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies in 2022, as well as transcriptions of the conversations with the secretary of diversity policies of Argentina in Spanish (which formed part of the European Night of Researchers in 2021).
Research: The project combined long archival research in both traditional and community-based archives and interviews with more than twenty trans people that transitioned before 1998.
1) Dissemination
1.1. Simonetto has presented advances of the project at multiple universities in Europe and the Americas.
1.2. He has published three research four, two book chapters, and four blog posts for a broader audience. As a final output of the research, the researcher will publish a monograph entitled A Body of One's Own. A Trans* History of Argentina (University of Texas Press) is scheduled for January 2024.
1.3. The researcher introduced work on the trans history of "sex change" in teaching undergraduate and graduate students at UCL and developed the Postgraduate modules "Latin American and Latinx Sexualities" fueling the debates about queer and trans studies at UCL.
2) Civil Society
2.1. . In the project context and in collaboration with Mir Yarfitz, the researcher organized the workshop "Latin American Trans Histories", which brings together scholars, policymakers, and activists. The two days events also included a virtual exhibition in collaboration with the Archivo de la Memoria TRans (Argentina), Museu de Arte e Historia Trans (Brazil), Acervo Pajubá (Brazil), Archivo Q'uiwa (Bolivia).
2.2. He organized public lectures in Argentina and Germany in Collaboration with Trans Women Argentina and the Trans Memory Archive.
3) Policymaking
3.1 The researcher collaborated with public lectures with the Argentine Foreign Office and the National Secretary of Diversity Politics of Argentina - the trans activist Alba Rueda.
3.2. In collaboration with the University of Cologne (Germany), the project co-hosted a workshop of conversation between Argentinian and german policymakers about the history and challenges of trans rights both in Argentina and Germany. In this context, they discussed issues related to trans healthcare vital for this project.
3.3 Transcription of the conversation between the Argentine Special Envoy in Gender Identity Alba Rueda and the German MP Nyke Slavic will be published in the Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies in 2022, as well as transcriptions of the conversations with the secretary of diversity policies of Argentina in Spanish (which formed part of the European Night of Researchers in 2021).
The project "Was Sex Inflexible?" developed a robust agenda seeking impact in academics, civil society, and policymaking.
Academics:
The researcher delivered 20 presentations on the project at Universities and Institutions in Europe and the Americas.
Publishing: the researcher has published four research articles, two book chapters, and three blog posts for a broader audience. The final output will be the publication of a monograph entitled A Body of One's Own. A Trans* History of Argentina (already in publication process to be published in January 2024 by the University of Texas Press).
Teaching: the researcher developed his own module to introduce Latin American trans and queer studies at UCL.
Organized a Workshop on Latin American Trans Histories, bringing together academics, policymakers, archivists, and artists to discuss the future of the field in the region. The workshop included panels and an art exhibition ( see https://wayback.archive-it.org/1104/20220725190814/https://latinamericantranshistories.squarespace.com/ )
Civil Society:
The project developed different strategies of engagement with NGOs advocating for trans-well-being (E.g. Human Rights Campaign, Archivo de la Memoria Trans, and Mujeres Trans Argentinas, among others). In this context, the project included organizing a workshop to showcase the voices of Latin American trans activists and archivists that included a virtual exhibition ( see https://wayback.archive-it.org/1104/20220725190814/https://latinamericantranshistories.squarespace.com/ ).
This collaborative project has been a base of collaboration between trans activists in the region. Currently, the researcher is working with the Trans Memory Archive to create a project that offers training for trans organizations seeking to organize their historical archives.
Policymakers
The project work as a base for fostering public conversation among policymakers working on trans rights in Latin America and Europe. For example, in collaboration with the University of Cologne, the project fostered the conversation on how the Argentine experience and legislation could inform German MPs about the current debates about transforming the legislation that affects the access for trans gender affirmation practices and changing the registered name. Likewise, this conversation among trans people involved in making public policy will be published in an influential journal, the Bulletin of Transgender Applied Studies.
Academics:
The researcher delivered 20 presentations on the project at Universities and Institutions in Europe and the Americas.
Publishing: the researcher has published four research articles, two book chapters, and three blog posts for a broader audience. The final output will be the publication of a monograph entitled A Body of One's Own. A Trans* History of Argentina (already in publication process to be published in January 2024 by the University of Texas Press).
Teaching: the researcher developed his own module to introduce Latin American trans and queer studies at UCL.
Organized a Workshop on Latin American Trans Histories, bringing together academics, policymakers, archivists, and artists to discuss the future of the field in the region. The workshop included panels and an art exhibition ( see https://wayback.archive-it.org/1104/20220725190814/https://latinamericantranshistories.squarespace.com/ )
Civil Society:
The project developed different strategies of engagement with NGOs advocating for trans-well-being (E.g. Human Rights Campaign, Archivo de la Memoria Trans, and Mujeres Trans Argentinas, among others). In this context, the project included organizing a workshop to showcase the voices of Latin American trans activists and archivists that included a virtual exhibition ( see https://wayback.archive-it.org/1104/20220725190814/https://latinamericantranshistories.squarespace.com/ ).
This collaborative project has been a base of collaboration between trans activists in the region. Currently, the researcher is working with the Trans Memory Archive to create a project that offers training for trans organizations seeking to organize their historical archives.
Policymakers
The project work as a base for fostering public conversation among policymakers working on trans rights in Latin America and Europe. For example, in collaboration with the University of Cologne, the project fostered the conversation on how the Argentine experience and legislation could inform German MPs about the current debates about transforming the legislation that affects the access for trans gender affirmation practices and changing the registered name. Likewise, this conversation among trans people involved in making public policy will be published in an influential journal, the Bulletin of Transgender Applied Studies.