A History of the Transgender Rights Movement, As Lived by Tom Heitz/Sharon Stuart

Sharon Stuart of Cooperstown (also known as Tom Heitz) is an 82-year-old pioneer of the transgender rights movement. Born in 1940, in Kansas City, Sharon/Tom is a lawyer, Marine, and the former head librarian at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. They are married with three children, plus grandchildren. A key achievement was co-authoring the 1991 International Bill of Gender Rights, published by the International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy.

Sharon/Tom has spent their entire life fighting for the opportunity to simply be themselves, and advocating for the many others who feel the same way. The progress these movements have made has been dizzying, both to the activists and to society. Along the way, the terms and concepts for people with gender variations have evolved quickly, offering many fine distinctions and making room for many who have always existed, but have never had the full right to the pursuit of happiness guaranteed in our Constitution. Sharon will narrate that historical evolution, telling interesting, profound, and humorous stories about the journey.