Julia Michelle Serano (/səˈrænoʊ/sə-RAN-o; born 1967)^[1] is an American writer, musician,spoken-word performer,transgender andbisexual activist, andbiologist. She is known for hertransfeminist books, such asWhipping Girl (2007),Excluded (2013), andOutspoken (2016). She is also a public speaker who has given many talks at universities and conferences. Her writing is frequently featured inqueer,feminist, andpopular culture magazines.

Julia Serano
Serano in 2018
Born	1967 (age 57–58)
Nationality	American
Education	Philadelphia University Columbia University (PhD, 1995)
Employer	UC Berkeley (2003–2012)
Known for	Trans andbi activism, coining the terms "subconscious sex" and "transmisogyny", criticism ofBlanchard's transsexualism typology, writing,spoken word performance
Notable work	Whipping Girl,Excluded,Outspoken
Website	www.juliaserano.com

Serano, who wasassigned male at birth, has stated that she first consciously recognized in herself a desire to befemale during the late 1970s, when she was 11 years old. A few years later, she begancrossdressing. At first, she crossdressed secretively, but she eventually started identifying herself openly as a "male crossdresser." Serano attended her firstsupport group for crossdressers in 1994 while she lived inKansas.^[2][3]

Soon afterward, Serano moved to theSan Francisco Bay Area where she met her wife, Dani, in 1998. During this time, Serano began identifying as not only a crossdresser but alsotransgender andbisexual. In 2001, she began medicallytransitioning and identifying as atransgender woman.^[3]

Serano earned her PhD inbiochemistry andmolecular biophysics fromColumbia University.^[4] She researched genetics, developmental biology, and evolutionary biology at theUniversity of California, Berkeley for 17 years.^[5][6]

Serano is the author ofWhipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity. Her second book,Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive, was published on September 10, 2013, bySeal Press.^[7] It was named the 16th best nonfiction book of all time by readers ofMs. Magazine.^[8] Her third book,Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism, she published herself under Switch Hitter Press,^[9] which she founded along with Switch Hitter Records.^[10]Outspoken is a 2017Lambda Literary Award finalist.^[11] Her 2020 book,99 Erics: a Kat Cataclysm faux novel, also published by Switch Hitter, won thePublishing Triangle's 2021 Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction^[12] and was anIndependent Publisher Book Awards 2021 silver medalist in LGBT+ Fiction.^[13]

Her work has appeared inqueer,feminist, andpop culture magazines, includingBitch,Clamor,Kitchen Sink,LiP,make/shift, andTransgender Tapestry. Excerpts of her work have appeared inThe Believer andTheSan Francisco Chronicle and onNPR.^[14]

Serano has spoken abouttransgender andtrans women's issues at numerous universities, often atqueer,feminist,psychology, andphilosophy-themed conferences.^{[15][16][17][18]} In 2023, she gave the keynote address at theMoving Trans History Forward conference at theUniversity of Victoria.^[19] Her writings have also been used in teaching materials ingender studies courses across the United States.^[20][21]

Serano is aslam poet and has given spoken-word performances at universities as well as at events such as theNational Queer Arts Festival, San FranciscoPrideDyke March andTrans March stages,Ladyfest, outCRY!, Femme 2006 and inThe Vagina Monologues.^[22] She was a guitarist and vocalist for the band Bitesize from 1997 through the early 2000s and has also recorded solo music.^[23][16]

Serano organizes and hostsGenderEnders, a performance series that features the work of transgender,intersex, andgenderqueer artists and allies that has produced 20 shows. She received a grant to curate "The Penis Issue: Trans and Intersex Women Speak Their Minds," a spoken-word event, as part of the 2007National Queer Arts Festival.^[22]

She writes social justice articles on the websiteMedium about topics like transgender identity, LGBTQ+ visibility, and identity politics.^[24][25]

Serano lives inOakland, California.^[26][27]

• —— (2002).Either/Or. Switch Hitter Press.
• —— (2005).On the Outside Looking In... Oakland, California: Hot Tranny Action!.OCLC 163613642.
• —— (2007).Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity.Seal Press.ISBN 9781580051545.
• —— (2013).Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive. Basic Books.ISBN 9781580055048.
• —— (2016).Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism. Switch Hitter Press.ISBN 9780996881005.
• —— (2020).99 Erics: A Kat Cataclysm Faux Novel. Switch Hitter Press.ISBN 9780996881043.
• —— (2022).Sexed Up: How Society Sexualises Us, and How We Can Fight Back. Basic Books.ISBN 9781541674806.^[28]

• Friedman, Jaclyn;Valenti, Jessica, eds. (2008). "Why nice guys finish last".Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape. Berkeley, Calif.:Seal Press. pp. 227–240.ISBN 9781580052573.OCLC 227574524.
• Diamond, Morty, ed. (2011)."Cherry Picking".Trans/Love: Radical Sex, Love & Relationships Beyond the Gender Binary. San Francisco:Manic D Press.ISBN 9781933149561.OCLC 709681495.

• Official website