Intro

An exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society highlights the stories of transgender people in the American West during the frontier era. “Crossing Boundaries: Portraits of a Transgender West” runs through Jan. 5. The exhibit looks at the lives of several individuals in the Pacific Northwest who didn’t conform to gender norms through four themes: visibility, identity, acceptance and history.

Peter Boag is a professor and the Columbia Chair in the History of the American West at Washington State University Vancouver. He co-curated the exhibit and joins us with more details.