Reaching for T in the South African Archives

This article proposes a methodology of reaching in historicity. It does so by tracing the technical object of synthetic testosterone as it has been used by trans people for gender affirming care. To show the usefulness of the method, this article employs it first in relation to mentions of synthetic testosterone in the South African Medical Journal as a primer to understanding its relationship to the state and the law in South Africa from 1963 to 2003, reaching an apex in the Cape Town Transsexual/Transgender Groups advocacy for self-identification, much of which hinged on the role of synthetic testosterone.

Automated summary

This article proposes a methodology for reaching historicity by tracing the use of synthetic testosterone in gender affirming care for trans people. It demonstrates the usefulness of this method by analyzing mentions of synthetic testosterone in the South African Medical Journal from 1963 to 2003 and its relationship with the state and the law in South Africa, particularly in the advocacy efforts of the Cape Town Transsexual/Transgender Groups for self-identification.