At the start of the millennium, Lynn Conway was already a highly accomplished and celebrated computer scientist. Using her knowledge of early modern computing tech and programming, she designed the microchips that power our devices today. You literally wouldn’t be able to read this workbook without her work.
She built a website to tell her success story, alongside other Trans+ women. The ‘Transsexual Women’s Successes’ archive soon caught the attention of trans men too. Conway volunteered to ally with them, building a new page of ‘Successful Trans Men’ on her site.
It became what is now an archived insight into trans masc stories from the 00s, with insights into the pivotal early work of many FTM rights and activism.
Some historic heroes listed we’re more likely to recognise – healthcare activist Jamison Green, founder of FTM International Louis Sullivan and physician Dr Alan Hart – are immortalised on this site. But we also find the late Alex Fox, and a live link to his own pioneering online support resource for trans men, Trans Man Information Project.
We can learn how Michael Dillon became first to receive modern masculinising hormone therapy and surgery. Then there is Dragonsani Renteria’s Deaf Queer Resource Center, and creative records of our lives in Jamie Black’s performances and comedy, or Max Wolf Valerio’s The Testosterone Files.
Each story to be found here disproves the myth that we’ve barely existed as a community for ten years. James MacGregor Halleman, a steelworker and steel safety expert, was interviewed by the Washington Blade in 2002 about restroom equality. This article proves major touchstones of our current fight for human rights have a far longer history in themselves, further exposing transphobic disinformation.
The archive records men living sometimes surprisingly ordinary lives, yet doing what’s in their power to advocate for themselves and fellow marginalised people.
What can we learn from this history?
With her site full of diverse Trans+ stories, Conway created a digital monument to how we empower ourselves when we leverage our strengths in support of one another.
There is always more to learn, together. Conway said she “never stopped playing, creating, messing around, being in awe of everybody”. From her, we can learn to note the inspiration in what otherwise might go unrecognised, advocating for people even – and especially – if their experiences are different to our own.
The ‘childishness’ Conway championed in herself expressed itself as resilience, audacity, compassion, and boundless curiosity. She shows that when these qualities are harnessed together, they can make for powerful change.
Time to do the workbook
The 2025 Trans+ History Week workbook is packed with stories, tips, and advice on how to create your own content, events, and activities during the week.
This year, QueerAF produced the workbook for Trans+ History Week. We mentored five Trans+ researchers and writers to put it together through over 80 hours of research.
That work was spearheaded by lead researcher Gray Burke-Stowe, who ensured the stories have accurate and rich historical sources.
Download it now to immerse yourself in stories of the Māhū people of Hawai’ian and Tahitian culture or the history of modern ballroom.
Or maybe you're intrigued by an early internet archive of Successful Trans Men? Or pilot, engineer and racer Roberta Cowell?
Get your copy now, to help us get the word out: We've always been here, we can't be erased, we're more than Trans+, and crucially, we're stronger together.
