Evolution's Rainbow
" -
Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People" by Joan Roughgarden, of Stanford University, arrived today. I gave it a quick going over, and here is what I had to say after owning it for an hour:
Joan writes well. As good as Richard Dawkins.
Joan is up front about her transgender experience and her efforts to understand this phenomena and her own life are primary themes.
Joan devotes several pages to the autogynephilia controversy, which she calls autoerotic transsexualism. She describes Anne Lawrence's views at length but does not mention Blanchard or Bailey.
While it is clear she is worried about the autogynephilia issue, she seems willing to accept those who identity with the AGP narrative as being TG sisters.
She discusses these matters in a respectful way.
There is A LOT of cool stuff in here. She is squaring off against evolutionary psychology, Selfish Gene theory, and Darwin himself.
Joan is suspicious of psychology in general, in a way like Deirdre McCloskey, although I don't believe she was subjected to the mistreatment that Deirdre was. I also sense that Joan is uneasy about some aspects of human sexual variance. (I know Joan to have a conservative personality).
I will have much more to say about Evolution's Rainbow. I am planning a full-blown review similar to those I did for
True Selves, Last Time, Crossing, and Read My Lips.I would thoroughly enjoying watching Richard Dawkins debate Joan Roughgarden.
posted by Jamie at 8:15 PM
Julie Ann Johnson
I recently traveled to Philadelphia to attend the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) Convention. I have been a member of IFGE for years, and have been to many of their conventions. This year's offering was excellent, with a number of interesting sessions.
During the lunch meetings, IFGE gives out awards recognizing transgender community leaders for their service. I nominated my dear friend Julie Ann Johnson, and much to my delight, she was selected for the Trinity Award.
"The Trinity Award acknowledges heroes and heroines of the transgender community, people who have performed extraordinary acts of love and courage. Everyone is eligible to receive this award; they need not be transgendered themselves. They can be any living individual or couple. Look for little known or unacknowledged people who have done something extraordinary."
I met Julie Ann Johnson at an IFGE convention in Toronto. Being interested in trains, we immediately became friends. Julie was very active in the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) and operates her own printing business, so it was not long before she was tapped to help manage the IFGE organization. Julie joined the IFGE board during a dark time in this organization's history and was instrumental in reorganizing their business affairs. Julie served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for several years.
As part of her transition process, Julie "came out" to the railway preservation movement in 1998. This did not sit well with the IRM board, which in a political play, pushed her to resign as President. Julie responded by becoming deeply involved with the Its Time Illinois political advocacy group. Julie is also active in the Chicago Gender Society.
Julie has endured many trials and tribulations and always gets back up and keeps going, her heart unblemished. She has quietly leant a hand to transgender individuals and groups in enumerable ways known only to her.
It is common for people like her to be under-recognized. Fortunately the IFGE helped to remedy this by selecting Julie for the Trinity Award in 2004.
Thank you, Julie. I love you.
posted by Jamie at 8:51 AM
