Gender Review: The First Volume, 1978-1981
no. 2 (Sept 1978)
no. 3 (Dec 1978)
no. 4 (Mar 1979)
no. 5 (ca. July 1979)
no. 8 (Apr 1980)
no. 9 (July 1980)
no. 10 (Feb 1981)
no. 11 (June 1981)
These are the first 11 issues of Gender Review (number 6/7 is a combined issue) and cover June 1978 to June 1981. Rupert Raj (aka Nicholas Ghosh) was the driving force behind both FACT and Gender Review during this time.
1979 saw two major challenges for transpeople. Janice Raymond's anti-trans book The Transsexual Empire was published. Raymond argued that transwomen are not real women but rather agents of the patriarchy perpetrating sexist attacks on ciswomen.* Gender Review published two reviews of The Transsexual Empire (see issues no. 6/7 and no. 8).
The second challenge was Johns Hopkins' closure of its gender identity clinic based on the results of a flawed study. The researchers were motivated by a belief that trans identity is a mental illness. Gender Review covered the closure in issues 6/7, 8, and 9.
Issues no. 1 and 2 report on Inge Stephens' lawsuit against her insurance company and bank for disability benefits after being dismissed from employment for being trans. Stephens is profiled in issue no. 3.
No. 1 and no. 6/7 are hosted externally at the Digital Transgender Archive.
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*For a more in-depth discussion of The Transsexual Empire, see chapter 4 of Susan Stryker's book Transgender History (Seal Press, 2008).