Katherine Cummings is one of the most influential and respected voices in the Australian transgender movement, a woman whose life and work have touched countless others. A librarian by profession and a sailor at heart, she has always combined intellect, discipline, and a sense of adventure with her deep commitment to justice and equality. Since transitioning in 1986, she has been at the forefront of advocacy for transgender rights, first as a determined individual writing letters, fighting for recognition, and setting legal precedents, and later as part of Sydney’s Gender Centre, where she became the information worker and long-serving editor of its quarterly magazine Polare. Through this work, she gave a platform to stories, experiences, and resources that shaped the community and provided support at a time when public understanding was still very limited. Her autobiography Katherine’s Diary (1992), which grew out of a series of candid and groundbreaking radio talks for ABC Radio National, remains a cornerstone of transgender literature in Australia and beyond. In it, she documented not only her own transition but also the emotional and social challenges of living authentically at a time when visibility often came at a great personal cost.
More than two decades later, she published her second book, The Life and Loves of a Transgender Lesbian Librarian (2014), a collection of essays, stories, poems, and reflections that showcased both her wit and her sharp observations about identity, love, and society. Throughout her life, Katherine has stood out as both a pioneer and a steadfast supporter of others. She fought and won important battles, such as recognition of electrolysis as a therapeutic medical expense and the right to amend naturalization documents, long before such issues were commonly understood. Yet she has also remained grounded, always emphasizing the importance of ordinary people who find the courage to live openly despite adversity. Her voice has been vital in reminding the public that transgender lives are not defined by celebrity or spectacle but by resilience, honesty, and everyday determination. Today, Katherine Cummings continues to inspire as an activist, writer, and mentor, carrying forward her legacy of breaking barriers while offering guidance, wisdom, and compassion to those navigating their own paths. It is an honor to introduce Katherine for this conversation.
Monika: Today, I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Katherine Cummings, a true icon of the Australian transgender movement. She has worn many hats throughout her life: librarian, sailor, activist, and award-winning author. Katherine also works at Sydney’s Gender Centre – founded in 1983 to support people with gender issues – where she serves as an information worker and edits the Centre’s quarterly magazine Polare. Hello, Katherine!
Katherine: Hello, Monika. I’m both honored and flattered by your introduction. You could have simply said, as Deirdre McCloskey once did in her book Crossing, that I am a “gender saint” (please, try not to guffaw too loudly).
Monika: Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Katherine: If there is such a thing I’d say I am a fairly typical transgender. My wish to be female goes back as far as memories go but I only found out that my impossible dream could be a possible dream when I was seventeen, in my first year at university, when Christine Jorgensen was outed. Up to that point I had known about gay people, female impersonators, and intersex (although we didn’t call them intersex in 1952) and knew I was none of those things.
Monika: You have been deeply involved in advancing transgender rights in Australia for many years. Could you share some of the most important initiatives you have taken part in?
Katherine: I have been a trans activist since I transitioned in 1986 (perhaps even earlier, if you count my refusal to make fun of Christine Jorgensen in a revue skit I had been cast in back in 1953), and my activities expanded significantly after 2001 when I joined the staff of the NSW Gender Centre. Before then I had mostly been involved in lone efforts, such as writing letters to politicians.
Monika: During those early years of activism on your own, what were some of the achievements you are most proud of?
Katherine: I achieved two things during my period of working alone. I created a precedent for people who wanted to change their names on their naturalization papers to do so (otherwise I would have had to out myself every time I applied for a job that required proof of citizenship), and I set a precedent for electrolysis to be recognized as a tax-deductible therapeutic measure. I fought the tax office for five years on this, with the ATO claiming electrolysis was cosmetic and me claiming that for transgender people it was therapeutic. After five years, they relented and backpaid me for the previous five years.
Monika: Your acclaimed autobiography Katherine’s Diary (1992) originated from a series of talks you gave for ABC Radio National’s Health Report. What inspired you to turn those talks into a book?
Katherine: The book grew out of a series of radio talks I wrote and delivered on the national broadcaster’s Health Report, which came about because I was lunching with a friend who worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and said my story would be of interest. I contacted them, and they asked for some sample scripts, which I wrote and they liked. I then broadcast my talks on what was happening to me as I transitioned and how I felt about it for just over two years.
Monika: What led you to bring the series of broadcasts to a close and begin writing your memoir?
Katherine: When I had my affirmation surgery I thought that would be a sensible time to stop, so I did and sat down to write the book. Recently the Health Report asked if I would do an interview with them on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the original series, which I did.
|
| "I have been a trans activist since I transitioned in 1986." |
Monika: Your second book The Life and Loves of a Transgendered Lesbian Librarian (2014) brings together poems, short stories, a nd essays. How did you decide which pieces to include in this collection?
Katherine: It’s a compilation of many writings. Many, but not all, have a gender theme and some are indeed based on my personal experiences. There are, however, a variety of essays, short stories, poems, song lyrics, and book reviews. A second compilation is on its way.
Monika: Why did you choose to highlight the word “lesbian” in the title of your book?
Monika: Why did you choose to highlight the word “lesbian” in the title of your book?
Katherine: The original title of the essay was “The Life and Loves of an XY Woman,” but since then the terms “X Generation” and “Y Generation” have become commonplace, and I didn’t want the XY of the male chromosome to be confused with them, so I changed the title. The term “lesbian” was included slightly tongue-in-cheek, as I think the terms “gay,” “lesbian,” “hetero,” and so on are very confusing for the lay reader, and to tell the truth, I don’t think I fit into any of the boxes.
Monika: How would you describe your own approach to love and relationships throughout your life?
Katherine: All my relationships have been with women, before and after transition, but I base my relationships on people’s minds and characters, not on their gender, and I have been lucky to find a series of women who fitted my concept of a constant companion. For a long time, I thought that if the right man came along I could be hetero, but he never did. Two came close, but they are both dead now, and at eighty the concept of sex as a pursuit or goal has lost its charm. I am too busy using up my remaining time on more important matters, like writing.
Monika: As a librarian and a writer, you must have come across autobiographies and other works by Australian transgender women. Could you share your thoughts on some of these books?
Monika: As a librarian and a writer, you must have come across autobiographies and other works by Australian transgender women. Could you share your thoughts on some of these books?
Katherine: I do not know of many. The first M2F we know of in Australia is Carlotta, and she has published two or three books, but they were written in collaboration with professional writers, which I feel dilutes the honesty of the text. Carlotta’s experiences also come from the world of show business, where she was an outstandingly successful female impersonator and showgirl. I have always been puzzled by transgender women who continue to perform in female impersonator shows. How can you impersonate what you already are?
Monika: Besides Carlotta, which other works have caught your attention?
Katherine: Then there is Kathy Anne’s book, which contained a lot of useful information but would have been much more readable if it had been professionally edited. If you have my new book, you will find my review of Two Lives in it. I should also reveal my special interest here, as I am an accredited editor as well as a professional librarian and freelance writer. Kathy herself was a delight and an incredibly dedicated worker for our causes. We were close friends.
|
| Interview for Central Coast Express Advocate (YouTube) |
Monika: Have you discovered any more recent works that stand out to you?
Katherine: I have recently acquired a self-published F2M book by an Australian but have not had time to open it yet. There are probably other books around, but I find it hard to make time to read these days, as I am usually working on Gender Centre publications or writing my own books, of which I am working on two at the moment, or film scripts, also two. Of the four works in progress, only one is transgender-based.
Monika: How would you describe the situation of transgender women in Australia today compared with when you first began your own journey?
Monika: How would you describe the situation of transgender women in Australia today compared with when you first began your own journey?
Katherine: Much better than it was in 1986 when I started to encounter it firsthand, but there are still areas of legal, social, and medical concern that need to be addressed.
Monika: What are some of the medical challenges that transgender women still face in Australia?
Katherine: There are only two surgeons in Australia who regularly perform transgender procedures, and there are no public hospitals providing this service. An M2F seeking surgery in Australia needs around $14,000 if they have medical insurance and around $20,000 if they don’t. They can go overseas, with Thailand being the popular choice, but Thai surgeons set their prices in American dollars, which means an Australian needs to add about 30 percent to the price because our exchange rate has fallen drastically. In 2014, when I spent a month in New York City, the Australian dollar was virtually at parity with the US dollar, so the fluctuations can be sudden and serious.
Monika: And socially, what kind of changes have you noticed over the years?
Katherine: Socially there is much more awareness of transgender people in Australia today, and the courts are giving attention to children who are transgender, while politicians are showing concern for transgender people who are aging. Of course, this awareness can be localized, so that some places are much more accepting and compassionate than others. There are still serious problems for young transgender people who may not be able to obtain a good education, secure housing, or find employment. Those of us who transition later in life tend to be better off, as we have usually attained a level of education and a circle of mature friends, and may have had time to build a reputation in our chosen professions.
Monika: How has the legal framework evolved to support transgender people in Australia?
Katherine: All the states have now included transgender people in their anti-discrimination laws, and the federal government seems to be on the brink of doing so as well, having recently appointed a Human Rights Commissioner who is sympathetic.
Monika: Are there any pending legal reforms that you feel are particularly important?
Katherine: The various states also have laws awaiting enactment that will remove harmful clauses such as the requirement to undergo irreversible genital surgery before documentation can be amended, and the need for couples to divorce if one of them transitions and wants their documentation updated. As a library colleague of mine remarked more than once, “Constant stoning wears away the drips!”
|
| Katherine on the cover of The Life and Loves of a Transgender Lesbian Librarian (2014). via gendercentre.org.au |
Monika: In recent years, the American media have shone a spotlight on Caitlyn Jenner, who quickly became the subject of countless articles, interviews, and criticisms. How do you feel about the way the media handles her story and others like it?
Katherine: From time to time a person who is a celebrity transitions and the media goes into a frenzy as if the celebrity had invented the concept of transgender. At such times the media sometimes contact me and I tell them their standards are upside down. It is not the rich and famous person who transitions and is immediately celebrated, like Caitlyn with her Vanity Fair cover supported by professional photographers and makeup experts, who deserves respect and wonder. It is the baker’s boy or the bus driver who has nothing, is uneducated, has no support organization, often not even their own families, and yet finds the courage, or desperation, to proclaim that they do not belong to the gender they were assigned but to the other. These are the people the media should be praising and supporting.
Monika: So in your view, what makes Caitlyn Jenner’s case different from the struggles faced by ordinary transgender people?
Katherine: I have nothing against Caitlyn. She, too, has needed courage, or desperation, to do as she has done, but the risks for her have been social and emotional, not financial, and possibly fatal, in addition to the social and emotional.
END OF PART 1
All photos: courtesy of Katherine Cummings.
© 2015 - Monika Kowalska
No comments:
Post a Comment