Zoë Playdon is the Emeritus Professor of Medical Humanities at the University of London and a Council member of the Association for Medical Humanities. She holds five degrees, including two doctorates. Zoë is a former cochair of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists [GLADD] and cofounded the Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity in 1994. She has thirty years' experience of frontline work in LGBTI human rights, including supporting and advising on UK and European legal cases.
"[A] remarkable story ... Readers are engaged in the life of an
early-twentieth-century transgender man and the struggles and
pitfalls that came with accessing affirming legal documentation and
medical care ... Especially since where materials regarding Forbes'
life are lacking, Playdon thoroughly contextualizes his story with
transgender history throughout the twentieth century, ultimately
creating a vital historical reference."
--Booklist "A fascinating look into the changing landscape of trans
rights in the United Kingdom. Recommended for readers interested in
the evolution of modern trans rights."
--Library Journal "Playdon marshals a wealth of scientific and
legal detail and paints a sympathetic yet evenhanded portrait of
Forbes ... The result is a valuable contribution to trans
history."
--Publishers Weekly "Zoë Playdon shines dazzling light on the case
of an early trans pioneer, a man whose dignity and courage remain
an inspiration to a new generation of trans people, and those that
love us. Abundant with compassion, clarity, and meticulous
research, Ms. Playdon ensures that Ewan Forbes's case will remain
hidden no more. Urgent, generous, and wise."
--Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She's Not There and Good Boy "A
detective story featuring bitter family conflicts, secret legal
battles, and a deep dive into the history of sexology, The Hidden
Case of Ewan Forbes is a compulsive page turner as well as an
enlightening, ultimately sobering, journey through the most
intricate corners of LGBT history. Moving from baronial estates in
Scotland to the permissive world of 1960s swinging London, Zoë
Playdon deftly weaves together multiple narratives of transgender
history to brilliantly place Ewen Forbes's story and struggle in
historical context. A gripping and important book."
--Michael Bronski, Professor of the Practice in Activism and Media
Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Harvard University "Zoë
Playdon has written a formidable book which is unputdownable. The
more I read the more I wanted to know... A breathtaking story,
magnificently researched and told and which lays bare how rights
are fought for, [how they] are always under attack, and the human
suffering discrimination perpetuates. I was moved, fired with anger
at the injustice and thankful that Zoë had dedicated years of
determination to unravel and reveal this heartrending story. It is
a wake-up call; until we are all equal, none of us are."
--Lord Cashman, Commander of the Order of the British Empire,
actor, writer, politician "In this meticulous, fascinating and
empathetic account, Zoë Playdon takes the reader within a series of
established institutions -- from biological science and medical
practice to courts and aristocracy -- as they wrestled with often
novel questions of gender identity before they became constrained
by the ideological framework of today's political debates."
--Sasha Issenberg, author of The Engagement: America's Quarter
Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage
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