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Transactivism and Postmodernity: An

Agonistic Analysis of Transliterature
a a
Heather L. Hundley & J. Scott Rodriguez
a
Department of Communication Studies , California State
University , San Bernardino
Published online: 14 Feb 2009.

To cite this article: Heather L. Hundley & J. Scott Rodriguez (2009) Transactivism and
Postmodernity: An Agonistic Analysis of Transliterature, Communication Quarterly, 57:1, 35-50, DOI:
10.1080/01463370802662473

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 Communication Quarterly
Vol. 57, No. 1, January–March 2009, pp. 35–50

Transactivism and Postmodernity: An

Agonistic Analysis of Transliterature
Heather L. Hundley & J. Scott Rodriguez
Downloaded by [Stony Brook University] at 14:39 14 October 2014

Historically marginalized people must find alternative forms of remonstration to liberate

themselves within repressive societies. In using an agonistic analysis of transliterature
and following examples of social protest by an earlier generation of feminists, Black
Power activists, Native American demonstrators, and participants in the Stonewall
Rebellion, this study argues that contemporary transgender liberation movement activists
incorporate a postmodern approach accommodating their specific needs within the larger
culture. Specifically, transactivists incorporate polysemy, polyvocality, and community
building through individual identity construction not witnessed in previous social
movement rhetoric research.

Keywords: Agon; Literature; Postmodernism; Social Movement; Transactivism

The term transgender may connote a myriad of images ranging from cross-dressers to
people who undergo sexual reassignment. Whatever the image, marginalized groups
of people are easily cast as disruptions of heternormativity. As a result, several forms
of discrimination, including heinous acts of violence and physical and mental abuse,
have been and continually are experienced by such communities. Because of the vast
and visually obvious rejection of the Western construction of gender, transgender
people have been traditionally silenced and, therefore, have had to work alternatively
compared to ‘‘more acceptable’’ marginalized group members when protesting their

Heather L. Hundley (PhD, University of Utah, 1999) is a professor in the Department of Communication
Studies at California State University, San Bernardino. J. Scott Rodriguez (MA, California State University,
Los Angeles, 1986) is a lecturer in the Department of Communication Studies at California State University,
San Bernardino. An earlier version of this article was presented at the National Communication Association
annual convention in Miami, FL, 2003. This research was partially funded by a California State University,
San Bernardino Diversity grant. Correspondence: Heather L. Hundley, Department of Communication Studies,
California State University, San Bernardino, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, CA 92407-2397;
E-mail: [email protected]

ISSN 0146-3373 print/1746-4102 online # 2009 Eastern Communication Association

DOI: 10.1080/01463370802662473
 36 H. L. Hundley & J. S. Rodriguez
situation. However, in more recent years, transgender communities are seemingly
becoming more acknowledged and possibly even accepted in society as attested by
the emerging visibility of our literature and expressive arts. Regardless of this shift,
very little research is conducted examining the representation, rhetorical strategies,
and cultural phenomenon of such segments of the population (see Sloop, 2000).
We not only acknowledge and accept transgender diversity, but argue that transgen-
der liberation movements employ a rhetorical postmodern approach that advances
our understanding of social movements.
When we use the term trans, our intention is that this term be taken to refer to
multiple communities rather than one homogenous group. Thus, trans is ‘‘an
umbrella term for a wide variety of bodily effects that disrupt or denaturalize’’ the
dichotomous construction of gender (Stryker, 1998, p. 149). Transcommunities,
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therefore, comprise a plethora of individuals who reject dichotomous gender con-

struction, predetermined association of anatomy to gender, or the ‘‘performance of
specifically gendered social, sexual, or kinship functions’’ (Stryker, 1998, p. 149).
Terms like transactivism, transliterature, transgender, and transrhetoric are used to
explain transgendered communities’ activism, literature, and discourse used by and
for these counter-hegemonic cultures.
Although transgendered people have existed for centuries, transactivism is a
relatively recent social movement. Indeed, since the 1960s civil rights protests,
including second wave feminism, Black Power, Native American emancipation,
and the Stonewall Rebellion, this past decade marks a new phase of social struggle
encompassing third-wave feminism, postmodernism, and transactivism. This new
phase, however, presents rhetorical postmodern nuances not evident in earlier
social struggles.

Agonistic Analysis
Previous studies of rhetorical expression in social movements demonstrate the
utility of the agon (Burke, 1950, 1967). Feminism (Campbell, 1973, 1980; Foss,
1979; Hancock, 1972), Black Power (Campbell, 1971; Francesconi, 1986; Gregg,
McCormack, & Pederson, 1969; Heath, 1973), various grassroots movements invol-
ving activism by Indigenous peoples (Conrad, 1988; Hammerback & Jensen, 1980;
Lake, 1983; Morris & Wander, 1990), as well as more general examples of emanci-
patory discourse (Cathcart, 1978; Gregg, 1971; Scott & Smith, 1969) have all been
productively analyzed by an application of agonistic principles. This concept of
‘‘the agon’’ is originally rooted in the patriarchal culture of ancient Greece; never-
theless (aforementioned), rhetorical critics in contemporary times have repeatedly
demonstrated the utility of this theoretical lens for analyzing and understanding
the continuing rhetoric of social protest and confrontation. Hence, as evidenced
in the literature, the authors find an agonistic approach suitable for examining
transgender liberation movements. Smith and Windes (1975) suggested that rheto-
rical movements that feature reform or innovation rather than liberation or eman-
cipation might not share similar agonistic qualities. Yet, we hope to elaborate on
 Communication Quarterly 37

the successes of previous rhetorical critics who contributed agonistic analyses of

social movement activism.
As a central trope in the development of Greek drama centuries ago and based in
conflict that underlies the action in a play, the agonistic metaphor offers a particu-
larly appropriate framework for analyzing rhetorical discourses employed by activist
members and partisans of social movements (e.g., see Campbell, 1980; Cathcart,
1978; Morris & Wander, 1990). Of particular interest for this analysis is the question
of individual and group identity—that is, we ask who can and does participate, what
types of appeals are used, and at what stage does this relatively young social move-
ment exist? Marginalized activists who struggle for recognition of human dignity
build strategies for social change around the set of issues raised by the agon. For
instance, in conducting an agonistic analysis, critics must determine who takes part
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in a struggle. By examining alliances, obligations, conflicts, and confrontations, a

group identity becomes clear (Patton, 1995). Indeed, because it can encompass the
processes of performative invention and interlocutions with potential allies and
opponents in taking account of the formation and expression of identity, the agon
is an apt foundation for investigating transgender liberation movements.

Transliterature Texts
Calling on transrhetoric scholars to cast a wide net in sampling the voices of trans-
gendered and transsexual sub-communities within transactivism, Namaste (2000)
argued that within the limited analyses of a narrow range of sources, ‘‘critical research
needs to base its analysis upon a more extensive sample’’ (p. 267). As a response, our
study represents an effort to enact Namaste’s instrumental guidance in producing
scholarship that is both sociologically reflexive and more inclusive in its survey of
transactivist literature than previous academic research. Thus, to begin to understand
transgender liberation movements, we locate our agonistic analysis in a wide array of
transliterature. Specifically, we engage in a close textual analysis of books and articles
by self-identified transsexual and transgender authors about transgender commu-
nities’ issues and ideas. Books by transactivists are relatively recent phenomena,
marked by an important turning point with the 1994 publication of Bornstein’s
(1994) Gender Outlaw because of its confrontational and liberationist approach.
‘‘Bornstein’s work represents the first time a transgendered author has turned the
tables on the ‘normal’ reader and insisted that it is gender stereotypes and social
sex-role fascism that is pathological, not transsexuality’’ (Califia, 1997, p. 190).
Bornstein noted the emergence of a more activist transliterature genre by arguing that
‘‘the time for discreet and distant observation of transgendered lives seems to be
coming to an end. There’s more and more evidence that transgendered folks are
making a place for themselves in the culture’’ (p. 12). Thus, we posit that this genre
of transliterature has yet to be examined by social movement rhetoricians. This,
combined with the apparent turning point in the inception phase (Griffin, 1969)
heralded by Califia and Bornstein during the era of transliterature we have chosen
to study, provides the rationale for our further investigation.
 38 H. L. Hundley & J. S. Rodriguez
In agonistically analyzing the strategies of the leading transactivist voices, as evi-
denced in this body of literature between 1991 and 2001, this study reviews a total
of nine books and six articles.1 As transliterature has gained momentum during these
years, we limited the texts to make our study manageable for an essay of this length.
Specifically, we surveyed primarily nonfiction books composed by transidentified
people. This self-identification was noted within the literature itself, either on the
book jacket, ‘‘about the author’’ section, or within the body of the text. We have also
given attention to book chapters by transauthors included in anthologies of works by
writers and editors who are not exclusively trans.
One precept of agonistic analysis that we endorse is that every voice has a location
in the fray. Further, we agree that there are no ‘‘disinterested observers’’ (Mouffe,
2000). Conscious of the warnings appropriately issued by disciplinary colleagues Jandt
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and Tanno (2001) about the tendencies of communication researchers to engage in

‘‘perceptual’’ and ‘‘discursive imperialism’’ (pp. 120–121) by ‘‘otherizing’’ subjects
of rhetorical inquiry, we find it important to disclose ourselves as transpeople who
have resisted categorizations of our own gender constructions into the false dichotomy
of the male–female binary. In addition, when we use trans to indicate groups of people
in this essay, we mean it not to designate a group of some ‘‘others’’ excluding our-
selves, but to name historically marginalized segments of people including us as well.

Transgender Liberation as Expressed Within Transliterature

This agonistic analysis of transliterature reveals rhetorical postmodern nuances not
evident in earlier social movements. These nuances evident in the literature include
polysemy, voice, and identity, which are among the central tenets of the postmodern
condition. Specifically, within this analysis of transliterature, it is clear that consum-
matory and instrumental appeals are polysemic, polyvocality is encouraged, and
community building is exhibited through individual identity construction. All three
components are important functions and unique in certain ways to transgender
liberation movements.

Polysemous Appeals: Consummatory and Instrumental Approaches

The purpose of instrumental discourse is in some sense pragmatic, and speakers are
deemed successful only insofar as listeners can be persuaded to agree with their
proposals (Gregg, 1971). Instrumental communication (e.g., advertising or political
communication) also by nature has a strategic dimension, as its rhetorical role has
been described in ‘‘its use as a tactic for gaining an audience or opening channels
to carry the primary message’’ (Cathcart, 1978, p. 236). In contrast, the purpose of
consummatory discourse is satisfied in the moment of its consumption, when
‘‘individuals are rewarded immediately on receiving or producing some kinds of
messages’’ (Berlo, 1960, p. 18). In consummatory discourse, such as ‘‘expressive’’
art forms including music or painting (Berlo, 1960), issues of enactment tend to
overshadow effectiveness. ‘‘The actions described [in consummatory discourse]
 Communication Quarterly 39

achieve their purposes simply by being; they are, thus, ends in themselves for those
who acknowledge the ritual dimension of symbolic acts’’ (Lake, 1983, p. 140). In
sum, instrumental rhetoric requires an audience to respond to and fulfill its purpose,
whereas consummatory rhetoric is complete upon its moment of performance.
However, at first glance, the agonistic dimensions of consummatory and instru-
mental appeals may appear to be bipolar constructs; however, these dimensions of
the agon are not mutually exclusive but can, in actuality, be commingled: ‘‘Any given
message can have many purposes, some highly consummatory, others highly instru-
mental, for both the source and the receiver’’ (Berlo, 1960, p. 19). Gregg (1971) con-
curred: ‘‘Rhetoric, in this sense, takes on the aspects of both act and appeal, the two
occurring simultaneously’’ (p. 75). Morris and Wander (1990) also agreed that, at least
in the case of their study of Native American protest rhetoric, appeals by activists in
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marginalized groups are explicitly addressed to a variety of audiences, both inside and
outside the dominant society, and that much of that same rhetoric is concerned with
creating a transcendental identity for marginalized group members. We see much of
the same dynamic taking place in our analysis of transactivist literature, and argue that
the extensive commingling of instrumental and consummatory rhetoric found in the
transliterature under investigation invites audiences to engage in polysemic readings.
Rather than implying that there are only two purposes or motives available for
social movement rhetoricians, the agonistic consummatory and instrumental frame-
work allows for consideration of the wide variety of complex, multilayered, polysemic
positions found in transactivist literature. Mouffe (2000) argued that agonistic
pluralism is needed to provide alternatives that transcend antagonisms that result
in unproductive dichotomies.
Polysemic readings are evident in this agonistic analysis of transliterature surveyed
in that they range from almost entirely consummatory (Cameron, 1996; Feinberg,
1993) to almost wholly instrumental (Namaste, 2000; Rothblatt, 1995), with a
remarkable variety of shadings in between (Bornstein, 1994; Califia, 1997; Denny,
1994; Feinberg, 1996; Pollack, 1997; Stone, 1991; Stryker, 1997, 1998). This suggests
that the transliterature under investigation is polysemous in that the texts at the
forefront of transactivism offer a variety of strategies and interpretations for readers.
Different transauthors preferring to feature greater or lesser shades of consummatory
and instrumental appeals frame their writings to address numerous possible
imagined or implied audiences, with no one specific blend of agonistic strategies
favored overall by transauthors on the whole.
Of the literature we examined, Cameron’s (1996) photo essay is consummatory in
the main, directly citing multiple intended audiences: self, others like self, and others
unlike self. Cameron’s text is, basically, a photo album showing artistically rendered
portraits of people whose bodies have been changed in such a way as to challenge
traditional gender dichotomies. There are no explicit instrumental appeals made,
but Cameron’s pictures speak volumes both to the transgressively gendered and, as
well, to those who might never have considered themselves gender outlaws. Cameron
is not seeking agreement or action but rather immediate gratification through
validation; therefore, this text is clearly an example of consummatory rhetoric.
 40 H. L. Hundley & J. S. Rodriguez
Another hallmark instance of primarily consummatory expression in translitera-
ture is Feinberg’s (1993) semi-autobiographical novel, Stone Butch Blues. Cast in
fictional form, Feinberg’s (1993) narrative dramatized some of the scenes of the
author’s own life. Feinberg (1993) detailed the experience of a fictional version of
herself, including coming out as lesbian in the pre-Stonewall years in the 1960s,
journeying between the genders by using hormone therapy, and ultimately inhabiting
an identity as a transgendered lesbian. Without explicitly calling for participation in
transactivist social movements, Feinberg’s (1993) story may be compelling to readers
on its own terms. For instance, in our reading, the narrative generates sympathy
and possibly empathy as well through Jess’s experiences. Jess is the novel’s feisty
central character, who undergoes multiple plights transpeople may encounter in
constructing identities and navigating oppressions imposed by false dichotomies of
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nonconsensual gender rigidity.2

Alternatively, Namaste’s (2000) work concentrated mostly in the realm of instru-
mental appeal, with personal disclosure framed to emphasize pragmatic purposes.
Namaste’s research illustrates a primarily instrumental and pragmatic mode, fore-
going appeals for gratification via immediate or intimate personal disclosures.
Another representative example of the dominantly instrumental approach is
Rothblatt’s (1995) book, which reviews a number of scholarly research findings
and employs them largely as evidence in the context of arguments advocating legal
reforms that could better ensure and protect rights of both transpeople and
non-transpeople. This political manifesto strategically incorporates scientific and
academic studies to persuasively appeal to its readers.
Atypical of instrumental rhetoric, however, Rothblatt’s (1995) brief ‘‘afterword’’
does provide some autobiographical detail. Consequently, in taking a moment at
the end of the text to step back from offering a ‘‘political manifesto’’ and turning
to self-disclosure, the author added an undertone of consummatory appeal providing
a counterpoint in what would otherwise be a thoroughly instrumental work.
This explicitly illustrates the blending of these two modes of agonistic appeal in
transliterature and encourages an alternative reading of what initially appears strictly
political—that is, by incorporating self-disclosure, Rothblatt invited readers to incor-
porate another layer of meaning in this text. Readers may not merely see a political
perspective, but they are allowed to contextualize it and make it personal by identify-
ing with the author.
As these are examples of transliterature that contain an apparently prevailing pro-
portion of instrumental or consummatory appeals, the remaining literature under
investigation offer polysemous agonistic interpretations by offering a more equivalent
proportion of these appeals. Of the three subgenres Green (1998) identified in trans-
activist literature (the academic, the political, and the artistic), the academic and poli-
tical reveal the widest range of hybrid consummatory and instrumental combinations.
One type of academic writing is historical scholarship that typically engages in the
consummatory function, charting important turning points in transactivist awareness.
Instances of historical scholarship include Stone’s (1991) chapter, ‘‘The Empire
Strikes Back’’ and Stryker’s (1997) chapter, ‘‘Over and Out in Academe.’’ Stone’s
 Communication Quarterly 41

historical essay enlightens readers to various approaches to envision gender. How-

ever, Stone extends this consummatory text beyond mere description, urging readers
to take an active part in the continued ‘‘making’’ of history, defining this work as
both instrumental and consummatory. Along similar lines, Stryker (1997) connected
two international research conferences, one in November 1994 and the other in
February 1995, as well as the founding of the Transgender Academic Network in
tracing origins of scholarly transliterature as a genre. Stryker (1997), like Stone,
concluded on a note that is more instrumental than consummatory, aimed at the
pragmatic purpose of bringing about more humane standards of health care for
transpeople:

As transgender medical services are currently delivered in the United States, it is the
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psycho-therapist, not the transsexual, who ultimately determines what will happen
to the transsexual’s body. This is an unacceptable situation. (p. 244)3

Although Rothblatt (1995) saved self-disclosures for the end of the text, Stryker’s
(1997) identity is interwoven with activism throughout the work; yet, both of these
texts serve as criticisms of enforced gender dualism. These implicit calls to action
beckon readers to join in the struggle against nonconsensual gender. In sum, these
sources are primarily academic and mainly instrumental with varying notes of
consummatory appeals as accents.
In both the Stone (1991) and Stryker (1997) texts, historical accounts not
emphasizing ends-oriented content or primarily pragmatic in tone are concluded
with rallies to activism, setting the review of what has already occurred in the
context of serving as a prelude to further action yet to come. This exemplifies
the claim that rhetorical appeals can be both instrumental and consummatory
by fruitfully combining these rhetorical strategies (Morris & Wander, 1990). As
with academic literature under examination, Califia’s (1997) political work serves
as another illustration of commingling these agonistic appeals. However, unlike
the academic transliterature under study, Califia’s text is more consummatory than
instrumental because it is more an historical review than an explicit call to action.
Nevertheless, a vast majority of the transliterature under study exemplifies some
kind of agonistic fusion of instrumental and consummatory appeals allowing for
polysemic readings.
Another strand within academic transliterature is clinical and therapeutic. Similar
to the academic publications, generally the emphasis of clinical and therapeutic writ-
ing is founded on instrumental appeals, and consummatory moments are often inter-
woven in the form of autobiographical accents. For example, Pollack (1997), in an
essay pragmatically entitled, ‘‘What is to Be Done?,’’ argued, for the most part,
instrumentally: ‘‘Am I suggesting ‘hormones on demand?’ In a word, yes. I see no
reason to take the power of this decision away from the transgender person . . . and
turn it over to a specialist’’ (p. 233). Simultaneously, Pollack complimented instru-
mental appeals with insights gleaned from personal development of transidentity:
‘‘From my own experience, and from talking with transsexuals, transgenderists,
and others over twenty-five years, I do not believe for one moment that the desire
 42 H. L. Hundley & J. S. Rodriguez
to change the body is something imposed from the outside’’ (p. 232). Thus, consum-
matory rhetoric is peppered throughout the predominantly instrumental strategic
approach Pollack took.
A similar instance of pragmatic therapeutic transliterature, largely of an instru-
mental nature but also incorporating gems of consummatory wisdom drawn from
the writer’s personal history, is clinical therapist Denny’s (1994) study focusing on
managing identity for transitioning transsexuals. Denny’s purpose was primarily
practical, aimed at assisting readers in achieving desired results: ‘‘I have tried to give
you enough information to cope with the bureaucracy, no matter how it is struc-
tured, and to deal creatively with the many roadblocks you are likely to encounter
in your transition’’ (p. 8). This clearly identifies Denny’s approach as incorporating
instrumental appeals. Nevertheless, lessons the author has gained firsthand are fea-
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tured as well in this consummatory fashion: ‘‘I am writing from personal experience
here, because I discovered the psychology and sociology of identity management is at
least as important as the legal aspects’’ (p. 8). Interweaving the informational and
sensory materials with personal experiences and insights allows readers of these
clinical and therapeutic texts to gain knowledge from sources that are both highly
credible and also intimately presented. By doing so, readers may open up the poly-
semic possibilities.
As evidenced, access to health and human services is treated as generally instru-
mental concerns by therapeutic transactivists. Both Pollack (1997) and Denny
(1994) provided the impetus to their readers to take a position in this movement
for change. The content of their works interpellates readers to act instrumentally
and encourages involvement while also evoking their own stories highlighting prac-
tical matters of consummatory importance in the writers’ personal experiences. This
tactic indeed exhibits a consummatory appeal complete with self-gratification, first-
person language, and self-actualization, which serves to further bolster the authors’
primarily instrumental goals.
Outside the academic and therapeutic transliterature reside the most equally
balanced instrumental and consummatory appeals found in Bornstein’s (1994) and
Feinberg’s (1996) work. Both in style and substance, and in its fusions of literary
genres and agonistic appeals, Bornstein’s classification-defying text aimed at a wide
variety of audiences and employed many options for reaching readers, in the process
becoming one of the most popular titles in transactivist writing—perhaps it is because
of the eclectic, postmodern pastiche style of writing, which has contributed to her work
drawing such a diverse readership. Regardless, Bornstein provided a difficult-to-
classify yet widely accepted, received, and read text that extended her personal
narrative to a call for readers to resist the current system of imposed artificial gender
dichotomy.
Another widely read transactivist book, which shares in the approach of mixing
conventions to reach diverse audiences with multilayered polysemic and agonistic
appeals, is by Feinberg (1996). Photographs, which were also frequently employed
by Cameron (1996) and Bornstein (1994), and visual images selected by Feinberg
(1996) illustrate artistic representations of transpeople in a variety of cultural and
 Communication Quarterly 43

historical contexts. Such depictions serve a consummatory function of ‘‘demystify-

ing’’ the bodies and appearances of transpeople who have chosen throughout the ages
and in the present to defy gender dichotomization. Both instrumental and consum-
matory purposes are served by the writing of such political histories in Transgender
Warriors (Feinberg, 1996).
Pointing toward future actions, Feinberg (1996) wrote, ‘‘My work is not solely
devoted to chronicling the past, but is a component of my organizing to help shape
the future’’ (p. xiii). Feinberg’s (1996) text is consummatory to the point where it
fulfills its purpose as a telling of a history, and picks up an instrumental range of
appeals as readers are shown a way forward coupled with Feinberg’s own instrumen-
tality as a leading transactivist organizer. Thus, Feinberg’s (1996) text, like Bornstein’s
(1994), synthesized agonistic aims, encouraged polysemic readings, and simulta-
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neously won wide readership.

The Polyvocality of Autonomous Voices

A second postmodern nuance found in the transliterature under investigation is
that multiple individual voices are heard in the transgender liberation movements.
By encouraging polyvocality, individual agency and empowerment is granted to
members of the transcommunities. Our critical reading reveals a shared feeling
among all the transauthors surveyed here that people ought to be allowed to speak
for themselves, and autonomy is an important point of dignity for individuals
seeking a transformation in the social construction of gender. For example, both
Pollack (1997) and Stryker (1997) argued forcefully in favor of taking health care
decision-making power away from the ‘‘medical establishment’’ and giving agency
to transpeople in independently making these choices. This is also consistent with
Bornstein’s (1994) articulated movement goal of ‘‘a society free from the
constraints of nonconsensual gender’’ (p. 111). It is not surprising then that the
synthetic message of autonomy runs strongly throughout all of the transliterature
we studied because it is difficult to imagine that members of historically margin-
alized communities would argue in favor of greater institutional control over deci-
sions affecting gender construction, when the present dichotomy of the gender
binary is so widely held to be repressive toward the emergence of transidentity.
Based on the textual evidence produced in the past decade and examined in this
essay, messages favoring polyvocal autonomy and empowerment for transpeople
are likely to continue to characterize a synthesis among works of transliterature,
whether primarily instrumental or consummatory in agonistic strategy, for the
foreseeable future.
Coming to terms with the hegemonic nature of social relationships and identi-
ties, polyvocality can contribute to subverting the ever-present temptation existing
in democratic societies to naturalize frontiers and essentialize identities. For this
reason, polyvocality is much more receptive in ‘‘contemporary pluralist societies
and to the complexity of their power structure’’ (Mouffe, 2000, p. 105). In calling
 44 H. L. Hundley & J. S. Rodriguez
for autonomous voices, Sheridan (2001) referred to theological sources, primarily
liberation theologians, to incorporate a number of other transactivist voices in
support of appeals for activism leading to institutional change. This blend of
voices emphasizes bringing about desired innovations and reforms in Christian
churches, and Sheridan’s life story is also included as a way of providing all readers
a redemptive view of transidentity in accord with Christian beliefs.
Not only are multiple voices called on to join in the conversation, but the trans-
authors’ voices are incorporated into their works as well. For instance, Califia’s
(1997) introduction provides lengthy personal detail regarding a transidentity
shaped and changed through the years leading up to the writing the book, a move
that parallels disclosures of a similar consummatory nature in openings of many of
the transactivists texts under study. Califia wrote: ‘‘And my fondness for girls with
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punk haircuts in primary colors now has its exegesis. Not to mention well-
restrained boys in dresses’’ (p. 3). Califia’s review of transactivism includes a list
of resources offering contact information for a number of transactivist organiza-
tions to assist in constructing a bridge from reading about transactivism to becom-
ing involved in gender radicalism for readers inspired to take action. This way,
multiple organizational voices are incorporated into the ‘‘unending conversation’’
(Burke, 1950, 1967), as well.
Along the lines of Califia’s (1997) self-disclosure, Feinberg (1993) wrote in a voice
revealing damage suffered growing up without a sense of transhistory to draw on for
support: ‘‘I grew up thinking that the hatred I faced because of my gender expression
was simply a by-product of human nature, and that it must be my fault that I was
a target for such outrage’’ (pp. xii–iii). Feinberg’s (1993) disclosure prompts an
immediate sense of identification in anyone who has ever internalized shame or guilt
due to variant gender expression, and invites alliance with and participation in the
‘‘pride’’ movements aimed at reversing the presumption that alternate genderings
are deviant or pathological.
A particularly vivid example of autonomous polyvocality is evident in Chase
(1998), the founder of the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA). Because
intersex conditions are present in only perhaps 1 in every 2,000 live births, people
who are genetically neither XX nor XY face enormous challenges in building a
‘‘critical mass’’ of supporters based strictly on issues of personal identity alone.
‘‘ISNA had deliberately cultivated a network of nonintersexed advocates who com-
mand a measure of social legitimacy and can speak in contexts where uninter-
preted intersex voices will not be heard’’ (p. 201). Maintaining an autonomous
voice for intersexed people while building bridges with larger transactivist move-
ments has, thus, become a hallmark of ISNA’s organizing strategies: ‘‘We have a
stake, too, in the efforts of gender queers to carve out livable social spaces for
reconfigured forms embodiment, identity and desire’’ (p. 208). While never erasing
the uniqueness of the issues their existence raises, intersex activists like Chase and
her ISNA network members add a harmonious melody to the chorus of voices
seeking to liberate readers from the oppressive chains of the patriarchal dichotomi-
zation of gender.
 Communication Quarterly 45

Striking a similar note on behalf of female-to-male transsexuals, Green (1998)

named both an autonomous voice and inclusion under the transactivist umbrella
as fundamental organizing strategies for gender queers:
What we can learn from watching all this is that we must declare ourselves; we
must own our own destinies and name ourselves, or others—who don’t under-
stand—will do it for us. We must learn to recognize the dividing line between hon-
esty and overexposure; we must be able to discern the difference between gratuitous
self-absorption and necessary (and appropriate) self-revelation; we must realize
that it is possible to come out for transgender and=or transsexual inclusion under
basic human and civil rights without identifying oneself as transsexual or transgen-
dered. And we must learn that only by standing up for ourselves can we hope
to achieve anything, because no one is going to go out of his or her way for us.
(p. 159)
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Autonomy, polyvocality, and community-building rhetoric aimed at the broadest

possible audience appear to be profound postmodern advances, transcending the
boundaries of what has become traditional ‘‘identity politics.’’ These may eventually
prove to be foundational strategies on which transactivist efforts will be based.

Community Building Through Identity Construction

The third postmodern nuance found in the transliterature under study is that indi-
viduals can construct their own identity; and, by doing so, they create a community
of people to participate in transgender liberation movements. This is important to
note because earlier in this agonistic analysis we asked who can and does participate
in these nascent social movements. In the burgeoning field of transactivism, efforts
are being dedicated to the important function of community building. There is a
consensus still emerging among transauthors on appropriate terminology for describ-
ing ‘‘movement(s)’’ and ‘‘community(ies)’’ around transactivism. Approaches range,
on one end, from Bornstein’s (1994) umbrella inclusiveness under a broad banner of
‘‘gender outlaws’’ all gay and lesbian, intersexed, cross-dressers, transsexuals, and
transgendered people; and, on the other end, to Namaste’s (2000) approach of spe-
cifying ‘‘several small networks’’ (p. 267) rather than a single large community. Other
authors, including Stryker (1997, 1998) and Califia (1997), occupied more of the
middle range of community definitions, specifying more precise groups than
Bornstein but less-specific standards than Namaste for naming membership and
inclusion in a broader transidentification. However, in concert with the previous
section of autonomous voices, community building is sought through identity
construction—that is, transauthors encourage their readers to make their own space
within the framework of transcommunities.
Bornstein’s (1994) text provides an excellent example of self-identity construc-
tion. The personal tone throughout the book resonates a consummatory appeal
in being highly autobiographical and rife with self-disclosures, seeming to take great
pleasure in a ‘‘here I am’’ type of validation. The volume is illustrated by numerous
photographs both before and after Bornstein’s gender transition, and includes the
 46 H. L. Hundley & J. S. Rodriguez
script of a play entitled ‘‘Hidden: A Gender,’’ which shortly before the final curtain
strikes includes this consummatory note: ‘‘I’ve said my peace, and I feel . . . curiously
relieved. I feel fulfilled. You work out the rest, if you have any energy for it. The
outlaw has found her place’’ (p. 222). Thus, Bornstein seemingly has carved a niche
in the world and, hence, has contributed to widening transcommunities.
Although identity construction is encouraged, many authors note the ongoing
struggle to do so. Bornstein (1994), for instance, disclosed the difficulty of construct-
ing an identity and participating in community:

I keep trying to integrate my life. I keep trying to make all the pieces into one piece.
As a result, my identity becomes my body, which becomes my fashion which
becomes my writing style. Then I perform what I’ve written in an effort to integrate
my life, and that becomes my identity, after a fashion. (p. 1)
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This reveals that identity construction is not a simple task but something that
must be worked at on an ongoing basis.
After presenting a personal narrative, Bornstein (1994) challenged readers to par-
ticipate in community building by urging all people who transgress the dichotomous
gender system to unite together under an umbrella of common instrumental
purpose. For instance, Bornstein announced a vision for transactivists: ‘‘To discover
what headway we are in fact making, we need not only to name a goal, we need to
develop a way to measure our progress’’ (p. 111). In this example, and many others
throughout Gender Outlaw, community-building strategies through identity con-
struction are discerned.
Another text under study, which also includes autobiographical narrative and
aims at a broad audience including non-trans as well as transpeople, is Sheridan’s
(2001) book. Sheridan’s instrumental appeals to Christian transpeople encourage
them to take an activist role in reforming the church. Sheridan also broadened
the appeal to include non-trans Christians in the call to righteous action: ‘‘Justice-
loving Christians of all ages, colors, abilities, and sexual and gender orientations
must join together to transform the church . . . so it can become totally welcoming,
loving, respectful and inclusive’’ (p. 135). Thus, community is created from a range
of people, whether non-trans or trans, and a variety of ages, ethnicities, and other
identities.
Like Sheridan (2001), Feinberg (1996) called the readers to action when the author
claimed that ‘‘it is time for us to write as experts on our own histories. For too long
our light has been refracted through other people’s prisms’’ (p. xii). Then, as
Sheridan did, the author urged non-trans and transpeople to adopt united fronts
in battles for human worth: ‘‘The women’s and trans liberation movements are com-
prised of overlapping populations and goals’’ (Feinberg, 1996, p. 119). With that said,
Feinberg (1996) suggested that ‘‘perhaps the unity of our two huge movements for
justice will birth a new movement that incorporates the struggles against all forms
of sex and gender oppression’’ (p. 119). Feinberg’s (1996) instrumental inclusion
of appendices listing selected transorganizations and transpublications also points
readers in directions for active involvement and community building.
 Communication Quarterly 47

Similarly, Stone (1991) recognized the importance of individual identity

construction. By doing so, the author asked readers to use that energy to contribute
to community building:
I ask all of us to use the strength which brought us through the effort of restructur-
ing identity, and which has also helped us to live in silence and denial, for a revi-
sioning of our lives. . . . But, although individual change is the foundation of all
change, it is not the end of all things. Perhaps it’s time to begin laying the ground-
work for the next transformation. (p. 299)
Issues regarding community building will likely continue occupying transliterary
texts as long as this genre, and usage of the terms ‘‘movements’’ and ‘‘communities,’’
continues evolving in the future. For this emphasis on community building we are
deeply grateful, as the first decade’s transliterary output has encouraged us for the
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first time in our lives to reach our own recognitions of transidentity and to affiliate
with the cause of ending nonconsensual gender along with the transauthors we have
surveyed here.4

Conclusion
Although transgendered people have existed for ages, contemporary transgender
liberation movements remain in their dawning stages. This agonistic analysis of
transliterature written by self-identified transauthors reveals three specific postmo-
dern nuances not seen in earlier scholarly examinations of social movements. Earlier
agonistic analyses of social movement rhetoric reported that variations of instrumen-
tal and consummatory appeals are evident (e.g., Cathcart, 1978; Lake, 1983).
Although we came to a similar conclusion, we extend this finding and argue that a
commingling of these agonistic elements invites readers to participate in polysemic
readings of the literature. Polysemic readings highlight individuality and nonconfor-
mity, which are central tenants within transactivist writings.
In addition to the polysemic literature within the transgender texts, polyvocality is
evident as well. Rather than relying on a solitary spokesperson to speak on behalf of
the movement, transliterature offers a space for multiple people to speak up on their
own behalf. This strategy is indicative of postmodern thinking but can potentially
result in dialectical tension by creating factions when organizing and advancing a
solidified force representing the broadest possible front of transactivism.
In concert with polyvocality, and perhaps to address the potential problem of
organizing, our agonistic analysis reveals that community building is created
through individual identity construction. Once more a dialectical tension exists in
that individuals are encouraged to speak for themselves and create their own iden-
tities, by doing so communities are created to advance the social movements. The
dialectical tension is witnessed between modernity and postmodernity, whereas in
the former approach people were encouraged to engage in specifically directed,
wholly instrumental literature (limiting polysemy), appoint a leader or spokesperson
(discouraging voice and agency), and conform to a community (rather than resist-
ing conformity).
 48 H. L. Hundley & J. S. Rodriguez
Given our synthetic characterization of the emerging body of transliterature as
polysemous, polyvocal, and encouraging community building through identity con-
struction, we feel confident in anticipating that the next decade will continue to wit-
ness a growth in the appeal and success of transactivist writings. The early agonistic
adaptability of method among transliterary texts bodes well for the future develop-
ment of this genre, as it indicates that transactivists make use of a rainbow palette
of strategies for reaching specifically targeted audiences of readers rather than relying
on a set formula for appealing to only one particularly defined interest group.
The polysemic reading and polyvocality featured in the reviewed transliterature
can assist in resolving the surface tension between autonomy and community by
allowing for the alliance of differing yet related independent groups of transpeople.
Future researchers will certainly want to explore additional works of transliterature
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in the new millennium, as well as attending to alternative sources of nonfiction writ-

ings such as magazines, special interest newspapers, and computer-mediated commu-
nications beyond the scope of the texts we have studied. Continuing efforts to analyze
transliterature and other social movement rhetoric offers great promise for rhetori-
cians interested in understanding the workings of activism. As our analysis displays,
to understand better what it is to be trans is to understand better what it is to be
human. In releasing people from the artificial constraints of the gender dichotomy,
transliterature has employed a heady mix of appeals previously thought to be incom-
patible or, at best, complimentary. As scholars continue to direct attentions at devel-
opments within this emerging body of activism, it is bound to produce novel insights
into new potentials inherent within the processes of human symbolization.

Notes
[1] The books include the following: Bornstein (1994), Califia (1997), Cameron (1996), Denny
(1994), Feinberg (1993, 1996), Namaste (2000), Rothblatt (1995), and Sheridan (2001). The
articles include the following: Chase (1998), Green (1998), Pollack (1997), Stone (1991), and
Stryker (1997, 1998).
[2] Also included in the category of artistic transliterature is a great many of the novels and fic-
tional writings by literary transauthors, a subgenre inviting further investigation by agonistic
rhetorical analysts.
[3] Evidence of Stryker’s (1997) and other activists’ pleas exist in New York City. Specifically, an
article in The New York Times explained that a proposal likely to pass stated that ‘‘people
born in the city would be able to change the documented sex on their birth certificate’’
(Cave, 2006, p. A1). Nevertheless, affidavits would be required from doctors and mental
health professionals; sex-change surgery or therapy would not be a requirement.
[4] Particular thanks are given to Susan Stryker, Jamieson Green, and Kate Bornstein for our
meetings with them at our university as part of our campus Women’s Studies and Intellec-
tual Life programs. Knowledge you all have shared with us was indispensable in the genesis
of this work.

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