Transgender activist Leslie Feinberg has passed away on November 15th.
The writer succumbed to complications from multiple tick-borne co-infections, including Lyme disease, babeisiosis, and protomyxzoa rheumatica following decades of illness.
Spouse Minnie Bruce Hatt was beside Feinberg in the final moments. Feinberg’s last words were “Remember me as a revolutionary communist.”
Feinberg was known widely for writing the 1993 novel ‘Stone Butch Blues’, which is widely regarded as a groundbreaking novel.
‘Stone Butch Blues’ has been translated into Chinese, Dutch, German, Italian, Slovenian, Turkish, and Hebrew. It explores the complexities of gender and has been widely taught and discussed in academic circles.
Feinberg also authored ‘Drag King Dreams’ and two non fiction works: ‘Transgender Warriors: Making History’ and ‘Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue’.
Feinberg campaigned for the rights of transgender and non-binary identifying people and the advancement of scientific understanding of tick-borne diseases.
When illness made reading, writing and talking impossible, Feinberg turned to photography to communicate, sharing ‘The Screened-In Series’, through Flickr.
Feinberg is survived by Bruce Pratt, who wrote an obituary in The Advocate, as well as chosen family, friends and fellow activists.
