The Museum of Transology is celebrating 10 amazing years of preserving trans, intersex and non-binary stories. The museum was built on the grounds of combating the erasure of trans people from history: “Never again will the records of our lives be written by the media that spectacularise us, the legal systems that criminalise and the psychiatrists who pathologise us.”
The Museum of Transology consists of objects that have meaning to a person and their trans, intersex and non-binary identity. The object can be anything: stuffed toys, HRT tubs or packets, clothes and garments. Each features a brown swing tag with a meaningful message about a trans person and their connection to the object.
The founder, E-J Scott, created this museum as a resistance to the ridding of ‘transcestry’. The museum was first launched in Brighton in the UK; however, there are now 15 museums across the UK that collect over 500 objects. The museum currently has a collection of 1,152 objects.
All 1,152 have a history behind them, belonging to a trans person, an intersex person or a non-binary person. The number shows that the community will not allow erasure to happen; they will record their own stories.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the museum is holding an exhibition in London at the Bishopsgate Institute, open to visit from March 11 to May 11, 2025.
Scott puts a particular spotlight on Black trans voices and stories. “ Right at the front of the exhibition, you’ve got evidence that Black trans women have been saving their own trans history even when museums haven’t been doing it for them,” they tell Dazed.
There is a free booklet of some objects from 2017 to 2018 that is accessible to the public. Below are some of our favourite objects that you can see on their Instagram.
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This is an image of a testavan applicator, a tool for taking testosterone. The tag says, “This is my first testavan applicator – a ridiculous object which represents one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, + all the absurdity + Joy of Transition.”
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This is a flyer of a person’s first youth event where they started to explore their gender expression – a safe space for them to freely be themselves. “…I was 16… I wore a mix of gendered clothes + my friend got a make-up beard.”
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A collection of Testogel sachets. This one does not have a tag attached to it on Instagram, however, the caption provides more information about how collections can say a lot about a person’s identity.
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This is a ring box with a wedding band in it. It tells the story of a person who is married, happy and safe when they discovered their trans identity. “Without it, there may have been less pain for us both, but I may never have known who I am. This is a relationship that was meant to be, but never meant to last.”
For 10 years, this museum has been vital for the preservation of transcestry. You can see more at the Museum of Transology website, or even donate an object of your own.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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