Eleanor Rykener - Trans Historicity

This powerpoint showcases the life of Eleanor Rykener, a trans sex-worker in the Middle Ages. I break down who she was, what she was arrested for, her support system, gender theory, and why trans historicities are so important right now given what is happening in the United States with anti-trans legislation. I use many concepts from Judith Butler to explain the harm that is done when scholars misgender Eleanor in their work, and how that perpetuates anti-trans ideologies and attitudes in academia. I used powerpoint as my creative platform as I found it's a great platform for informing people of different issues as well as outlining the life of someone. I am familiar with this platform and so I felt comfortable being able to play with certain imaging and fonts to give a Medieval feel to it. I also want to add, since I forgot to mention it in my powerpoint, that Eleanor was a white trans-woman, and with an intersectional lens we know that white trans people should not be the only ones remembered and spoken about. There are many trans people of colour whose stories are left out in history, as this is a systemic issue in academic institutions (which are white settler colonial places of learning situated on stolen land).

Alyssa Smania