TRANSCESTRY celebrates the Museum of Transology’s first ten years of community collecting. The museum is now the world’s biggest collection of objects and stories relating to trans, non-binary and intersex lives. The exhibition showcases over 3,000 objects and stories contributed by more than 1,000 community members from across the UK and Ireland.
The exhibition features artifacts and works by notable LGBTIQA+ figures, including writer, performer, and theatre-maker Travis Alabanza; author Charlie Craggs; and performer and director Kate O’Donnell’s ‘Lipstick’.
“This lipstick was from my wonderful sister who was the first family member to accept and support my transition.“
Lipstick (Main image)
Driven by community collaboration, this milestone exhibition amplifies underrepresented and often forgotten stories from the trans community and celebrates resilience, identity and creativity.
Hundreds of community curators have been involved in making the show – through national collecting, object archiving and photographing, exhibition design and installation. The collection bridges the personal and the public – featuring items that commemorate private gender milestones and medical ephemera alongside hundreds of protest placards from mass public rallies, a substantial political t-shirt collection and costumes from some of the UK’s best-loved performers.
Additionally, the exhibition spotlights work from award-winning artists, including Claye Bowler, Kasra Jalilipour, Victoria Cantons and Whiskey Chow. Homemade zines will be displayed beside best-selling books by Kit Heyam, Juno Roche and Juliet Jacques, with films curated by My Genderation, and displays by Trans Pride Collective UK & Ireland and the youth collective Trans Kids Deserve Better.
“My first pair of ballet shoes. I’ve been doing ballet since I was 4 years old. When I came outI was worried that people wouldn’t see me as male because of my love for ballet and pointe, but because I love it so much I refused to quit. Since coming out I’ve been more confident in my dancing, and while they were worn long before my transition, they hold a lot of meaning for me and ballet has made me the man I am.”
Ballet Shoes
TRANSCESTRY is divided into themes including fashion, healthcare and beauty; transology, pride and protest; memory and milestones – offering an intimate and authentic insight into the identities and experiences of trans, non-binary and intersex people in the UK and Ireland. This candid, tell-all exhibition provides a powerful lens into trans lives in a collective effort to combat misinformation spread about these communities – continuing the important legacy of the Museum of Transology.
Through its collection of over 3,000 personal artefacts and narratives, the museum is creating an unerasable record of ‘transcestry’ that reflects the diversity of trans experiences across the UK and Ireland, ensuring that these stories are preserved for future ‘genderations’.
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E-J Scott, Founder of the Museum of Transology told QX:
“It’s about us, by us and for us. Trans, non-binary and intersex people have been thrust into the centre of the UK’s culture wars. We are talked about in the media every day and our lives are endlessly debated by politicians. Rarely are we given a chance to have our own voices heard.
“This extraordinarily moving collection of personal stories challenges the misinformation and stereotypes. Young and old, students and teachers, children and parents, everyday people living everyday lives alongside community leaders – we stand united in this exhibition by our stories of hope, integrity and a vision for equality.”
All 15 museums, archive and library partners engage with the Trans-Inclusive Culture: Guidance on advancing trans inclusion for museums, galleries, archives and heritage organisations, published by the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG, University of Leicester) and co-authored by the founder of both the Museum of Transology and the Trans Pride Collective UK & Ireland, E-J Scott.
TRANSCESTRY: 10 years of the Museum of Transology. Free to view, no booking required. 11 March –11 May 2025 Weds – Fri, 11 am – 6 pm Sat – Sun, 12 pm – 5pm (Monday, Tuesday closed) at Lethaby Gallery, Central Saint Martins, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA.
Instagram: @museumoftransology
www.museumoftransology.com
