Shed Publishing, A Brief History of Transmisogyny, 2025

Published by Shed Publishing, Jules Gill-Peterson's A Brief History of Transmisogyny examines the historical mechanisms of globalized oppression targeting populations singled out for their dissident femininity, in colonized territories and metropolitan areas alike, from the 19th century to the present day.

The presentation at CALM will focus on two chapters of the book that address transmisogyny through two musical countercultures: the New York ballroom scene as depicted in Paris is Burning (1990) and analyzed by Judith Butler, and Brazilian baile funk as a tool for transvestites to fight back and flamboyantly assert themselves as mulheríssima – the “most womanly of women.”

Drawing on passages from the translated text, video excerpts, and other references, co-translators Mihena Alsharif and Nesma Merhoum propose to open up a space for reflection and discussion around the dynamics of over-visibility and erasure that affect transfeminine people as a group targeted from the outside, but also as a community of experience and life paths.

Shed Publishing is an independent publishing house and artistic platform established in 2020 between Paris and Marseille, specializing in the design of essays and children's literature. Intended to be a space for accessible and thoughtful debate, Shed Publishing draws on collective intelligence, unique expressions, and the curiosity necessary for any upheaval.

On the initiative of Lydia Amarouche (editorial director, curator, and independent researcher), the project brings together Laura Boullic (poet and editorial secretary), Nesma Merhoum (editor), and Mihena Alsharif (editor, doctor of anthropology, and author).