Dr. Gabrielle M.W. Bychowski

A struggle I have w/flirting: if she brings up good places to eat and then segues to how pretty I am

In my head, “yes, I know. But we were talking about food here. Can we focus?”

But out loud, “you are so sweet. You are so pretty”

In my head, “Im just going to look up the restaurant’s menu later”

Visited the Magna Carta in London a document famous for establishing that no one (even a King) is above the Law. This Memorial Day, the United States deeply needs this reminder as we struggle with our own want-to-be King. We the people have repeatedly overthrown monarchs, dictators, fascists & Nazis

The first day of the hybrid conference "Trans Sainthood in Translation" was fantastic-- sadly had to miss the first few presentations due to time zone mismatch, but I am thrilled that this is being made available virtually.

choose life over death. @transliterature.bsky.social #transsaints

@transliterature.bsky.social is adressing the horrific situation in the US, when even getting to #transsaints conference is a risk as a trans woman.

Highlight for me so far has been "Images of a Trans God: The Rise of Trans Saints in Eras of Authoritarianism", a powerful and (all-too-)timely presentation by @transliterature.bsky.social , followed by Arietta Papaconstantinou speaking on my favorite gender-disrupting Coptic monk, Hilarion/[a].

Featuring @aspencerhall.bsky.social y.social @stebruhn.bsky.social @charleskuper.bsky.social @natashaamberjo.bsky.social @transliterature.bsky.social and many more who aren't on bluesky (yet).

We also have some (limited!) capacity for people to attend in person. If you are in London in late May and would like to come, please shoot me a message, and I'll see if we can fit you in.

Poster for the conference "Trans Sainthood in Translation, ca. 400-1500", 22-23 May 2025 at German Historical Institute London. More information at www.ghil.ac.uk. In the background behin the title, there is a 13th century depiction of a child looking at a monk (Saint Marina/Marinus) from the manuscript Zwettl, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. 13, with an added visual effect that makes it look like white light is coming from the child's eyes and being refracted into rainbow colors by the saint's halo. At the bottom, the logos of the sponsors of the conference: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, German Historical Institute London, the Hagiography Society, and the Past&Present Society.

Program for Day 1 of the conference "Trans Sainthood in Translation": 22 May Welcome and Introduction: 9:00–9:30 Stephan Bruhn (German Historical Institute, London) Session 1: 9:30–11:00 Jenny Albani (Greek Ministry of Culture, Athens): The Holy Memory of a Transgender Saint in the Christian East: The Cult and Image of Pelagia the Penitent Julie Van Pelt (Universiteit Gent): Trans Sainthood and Metaphrasis: Re-writing Gender in the Metaphrastic Life of Theodora/-us of Alexandria (BHG 1730) Charles Kuper (University of Tennessee, Knoxville): Translating the Lives of Trans Saints. Crossing Time and Space in the Greek, Latin, and Syriac Lives of Euphrosyne/Smaragdos Coffee Break: 11:00–11:30 Session 2: 11:30–12:30 Michael Eber (Universität zu Köln): Lost in Translation? Defusing the Lives of Trans Saints in Latin Translation Mariana Bodnaruk (Masarykova Univerzita, Brno): Pelagia*us’ Gender Performance in Church Slavonic Versions of the Life Lunch Break: 12:30–14:00 Session 3: 14:00–15:30 Gabrielle Bychowski (Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland): Imago Transvesti: St. Marinos, the Images of a Transgender God Arietta Papaconstantinou (Aix-Marseille Université): Authorial authority. Who defines the gender of Marina/Marinos (and others)? Luis Josué Salés (Scripps College, Claremont): Exporting Greco-Roman Androprimacy? Perils of Translating Trans Saints Lives into Ethiopian and Syrian Contexts Coffee Break: 15:30–16:00 Keynote 1: 16:00–17:00 Roland Betancourt (University of California Irvine): Trans In/visibility in Byzantium: Resistance, Resilience, Refusal Conference Dinner: 19:00

Program for Day 2 of the conference "Trans Sainthood in Translation": 23 May Session 4: 09:00–10:30 Juliette Vuille (Université de Lausanne): “We are Family”: Familial Ties as Gender Correction in Old English Trans Lives Clovis Maillet (Villa Medici, Rome): Eugeni/e, Hiacynth and Prothus between Genders: Images and Texts in Latin, Greek and Old English James Davison (University of Liverpool): Ælfric, Eugenia*us, and Euphrosyne*Smaragdus: Trans saints in early Medieval England Coffee Break: 10:30–11:00 Session 5: 11:00–12:00 Robert Mills (University College London): Eugenia*us in Translation: Art, Liturgy, and Landscape in Iberia Leticia Ding (Université de Lausanne): Dieudonnée, Marine and Eufrosine: Three Shades of Gender Crossing Lunch Break: 12:00–13:00 Session 6: 13:00–14:00 Johannes Traulsen (Freie Universität Berlin): Age and Asceticism in the Medieval German Vitae of Trans Saints Natasha Bradley (Lincoln College, University of Oxford): Cross-Dressing Saints in Old Norse Translation: Marina the Monk and Pelagia the Penitent Keynote 2: 14:00–15:00 Alicia Spencer-Hall (University College London): Trans Monasticism and the Trans Hagiographic Impulse: Genders, Texts, Lives Concluding Remarks: 15:00–15:15 Michael Eber (Universität zu Köln)

Excited to finally share the program for "Trans Sainthood in Translation, ca. 400-1500" at @ghilondon.bsky.social on 22-23 May 🏳️‍⚧️🌈 If you are interested in trans saints anywhere from late antique Egypt to late medieval Iceland, join us on zoom! Registration at wwwghil.ac.uk/events/confe...

Spring flowers are blooming over my last month working in Cleveland. Thanks for almost a decade of precious memories!

Tomorrow will be busy but fun! Guest lecturing on trans literature in the morning. Then a reporter doing a profile on me will be following me around as I teach my own courses. Let’s do this 😅

Enormously proud of everyone who organized and participated in the Pr/Emo (Pre/Early Modern) Trans Conference 2025! I wish I could go back 10 years to tell a younger me about all the people lifting one another up and fighting oppression! There is so much more work to do but yall give me hope!

At the Pr/Emo Trans Symposium I was asked: What Do I Want from Pre and Early Modern Trans Studies during this moment of history?

My Answer: “Antimatter for the Master Plan, Louder Than God’s Revolver and Twice as Shiny!”

Real Answer: “Jobs.”

Next month at Penn: A symposium on Premodern Trans Studies featuring
@transliterature.bsky.social, @ldevun.bsky.social, @badinfinity2.bsky.social, @hamlethologram.bsky.social, and Nat Rivkin ! Philly come thru!

I think one of my formative neurospicy drives towards literature is that in books:

- people communicate in ways that are either interesting or plot significant
- actions have purpose
- meaning exists in more explicit ways

Real people are more confusing, less explicit, and generally chaotic

Divorce Update: All Parties have NOW signed all the Judgment of Divorce paperwork. This resolves the prolonged process of separation and negotiation.

Alan vor Folie

Super dickes Dankeschön an @chillrike.bsky.social, dass ich in Tübingen über trans reading von mittelalterlicher Literatur sprechen durfte! Es war eine tolle Diskussion. 💜🤓

Shoutout an @aspencerhall.bsky.social @tswingard.bsky.social @transliterature.bsky.social et al - we're reading you over here in Germany! 😊🤗

If you want to read more about Eleanor, I highly recommend:

👉 This article by @transbookhistory.bsky.social
scholarworks.wmich.edu/mff/vol55/is...

👉 This chapter by Meagan Khoury
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

👉 This chapter by @transliterature.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/cornell-scho...

We will do what we must to survive. Some will fight. Some will flee, go no contact. Some will freeze, choosing no side or fidelity. Still others will fawn, kissing rings to avoid being hit by them

We cannot save everyone. But we can at least preserve our sense of humanity amidst dehumanizing hatred

America went back to her abusive, narcissistic Ex. The cycle was not broken. You accept the love you think you deserve, I guess.

Many of us will just have to be that friend, answering late night phone calls, icing black eyes, telling her over and over again, “girl, you deserve better.”

The State of Ohio (where I live) has passed a Transgender Bathroom Ban. This law covers all schools, including Universities (where I work). Trans people are barred from using facilities that align with their gender identities. Talked with my lawyers and students. Getting ready for civil disobedience