Late last week, Dr. K.J. Rawson launched the Digital Transgender Archive, which the Boston Globe has described as “a compendium of historic documents, oral-history transcripts, photographs, and newsletters” that, together, constitute a transgender past.
Dr. Rawson told the Boston Globe that the project—for which he was awarded a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)—emerged out of his own difficulties discovering transgender archival materials during his dissertation research. This experience of frustration, which is shared by many researchers of queer and transgender histories, compelled Dr. Rawson to begin work on a resource that would address this problem.
And indeed, the Digital Transgender Archive is a truly impressive response to this rhetorical and historical exigency. Not only is it a timely historical, political, and intellectual resource, it is also an admirable example of the usefulness of the digital humanities to contemporary scholarly discourse and practice.
The DWRL is proud to host Dr. K.J. Rawson this Friday, February 19 for its annual Speaker Series event. We certainly look forward to hearing more about the launch of this exciting project.
Image from the Boston Globe, “Digital transgender archive launches at Holy Cross.” 12 February 2016.
