Figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were central to the Stonewall riots in 1969 , which catalyzed the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
"Becoming the Goddess: Castration and Transfeminine Divinity in the Cult of Cybele" Author: Will Roscoe (1996, but republished in Transgender Studies Reader , 2013) Where: Routledge, pp. 329–346. Summary: Describes how devotees of the goddess Cybele ritually changed sex/gender to embody her — seen as a divine transformation, not a modern "trans" identity but a historical precursor.
Some key aspects of online communities like Shemale.gods include:
If you need a or help locating one of these papers, let me know which one. I can also summarize any of them for you.
"Avoiding 'Shemale' in Religious Studies: Terminology for Transgender Deities" Author: M. R. X. Dentith (2021) Where: Critical Research on Religion , vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 299–313. Summary: Argues that the term "shemale" is pornographic and derogatory. Proposes "gender-variant divine" or "hermaphroditic deity" depending on context. Essential reading before publishing on this topic.