Patricio Simonetto, "A Body of One's Own: A Trans History of Argentina" (U Texas Press, 2024)
Jan 15, 2024
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Dr. Patricio Simonetto, author of A Body of One's Own: A Trans History of Argentina, explores the struggles and experiences of trans individuals in Argentina. The podcast covers topics such as the banning of gender affirmation practices, grassroots archival projects, the concept of citizenship, and challenges faced by the trans community. It also previews the author's future projects on the history of sex work and anti-fitness.
The book explores the historical struggles, challenges, and victories of the LGBTQIA+ community in Argentina, with a specific focus on transgender experiences and the fight for recognition and rights.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of visibility, reclaiming historical narratives, and creative interventions to challenge societal norms and push for transgender rights and social acceptance in Argentina.
Deep dives
Trans History of Argentina
This podcast episode discusses the book 'A Body of One's Own: A Trans History of Argentina' by Dr. Patricio Simonetto. The book explores the history of the LGBTQIA+ community in Argentina, with a focus on transgender experiences. It delves into the challenges faced by the community throughout the 20th century, including marginalization, legal battles, and struggles for recognition. The podcast highlights the importance of reclaiming historical narratives that have been traditionally excluded and discussing the ways in which transness interacts with concepts of citizenship, social belonging, and rights. It also mentions the recent legislative advancements in Argentina that have provided greater protections and rights for trans individuals. Overall, the episode offers insights into the complex and dynamic history of transgender experiences in Argentina and the ongoing fight for equality.
Navigating Public Space and The State
The podcast episode explores the ways in which the transgender community in Argentina has navigated public space and interacted with the state. It highlights the challenges faced by transgender individuals in accessing public spaces, including police encounters and societal prejudice. The podcast discusses the state's role in regulating gender expression and medical procedures related to gender transition. It also examines the strategies used by the transgender community to assert their rights and challenge societal norms, such as protests, demonstrations, and creative interventions in public spaces. By analyzing the historical context, the episode sheds light on the ongoing struggle for transgender rights and recognition in Argentina.
Visibility and Spectacularity
The podcast episode delves into the concepts of visibility and spectacularity within the transgender community in Argentina. It explores how transgender individuals have used their bodies as political tools to challenge societal norms and push for recognition. The episode discusses the emergence of travesty performances and shows in the early 20th century, which provided a platform for gender experimentation and redefining notions of beauty. It also examines the visibility of transgender individuals in the media, both through positive representations and sensationalized narratives. The podcast highlights the complex relationship between visibility, social acceptance, and the state's reaction, shedding light on the diverse strategies employed by the transgender community to assert their agency and demand equal rights.
Rights, Challenges, and Future Outlook
The podcast episode explores the progress, challenges, and future outlook for transgender rights in Argentina. It discusses landmark legislation that has expanded rights and protections for the transgender community, such as the gender identity law. However, it also acknowledges that these advancements are not without obstacles, with the rise of conservative administrations threatening to undermine these rights. The episode emphasizes the importance of translating legislation into tangible changes in everyday life, such as healthcare access and social inclusion. It calls for a continued focus on community building, solidarity, and the intersectional nature of transgender rights struggles. Overall, the episode highlights the ongoing fight for equality and social acceptance for transgender individuals in Argentina.
As a trans history of Argentina, a country that banned medically assisted gender affirmation practices and punished trans lives, A Body of One’s Own: A Trans History of Argentina (University of Texas Press, 2024) places the histories of trans bodies at the core of modern Argentinian history. Dr. Patricio Simonetto documents the lives of people who crossed the boundaries of gender from the early twentieth century to the present. Based on extensive archival research in public and community-based archives, this book explores the mainstream medical and media portrayals of trans or travesti people, the state policing of gender embodiment, the experiences of those transgressing the boundaries of gender, and the development of homemade technologies from prosthetics to the self-injection of silicone.
A Body of One's Own explores how trans activists' challenges to the exclusionary effects of Argentina’s legal, cultural, social, and political cisgender order led to the passage of the Gender Identity Law in 2012. Analyzing the decisive yet overlooked impact of gender transformation in the formation of the nation-state, gender-belonging, and citizenship, this book ultimately shows that supposedly abstract struggles to define the shifting notions of "sex," citizenship, and nationhood are embodied material experiences.
This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose forthcoming book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars.
