ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between trans literature and travel writing by examining the common trope of the “journey” and the concept of “transformation” in trans travel narratives. It shows that while trans narratives frequently use the journey metaphorically and literally, they share many characteristics with travel writing, and works of trans literature can be seen as forms of travelogue or travel writing more broadly. By drawing parallels between these two genres, the chapter highlights how journeys, both metaphorical and literal, are crucial to the experience of transgender individuals. The chapter provides examples of trans narratives that involve travel for gender reassignment or transformation, emphasizing how these journeys can have transformative effects on both the individual and society. However, while existing scholarship rarely addresses the racial and colonial dimensions of becoming a trans traveler, this chapter focuses on power dynamics between colonizers and colonized, as well as the role of neoliberal markets and differential positioning within the international market space. In addition, it brings in non-Western perspectives on travel that challenge Western medical accounts of passing and wholeness. This approach allows for an exploration of alternative perspectives on gender that are rooted in diverse cultural contexts, moving beyond the dominant Western discourse on the subject. In this way, the chapter aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of trans travel experiences and the complex ways in which they intersect with race, class, and culture.
