This book provides a crucial resource for readers who are investigating trans issues. It takes a diverse and historic approach, focusing on more than one idea or one experience of trans identity or trans history.
Transgender: A Reference Handbook is a go-to resource about the transgender experience. The book takes contemporary as well as historic aspects into consideration. It looks at ancient indigenous cultures that honored third, fourth, and fifth gender identities as well as more contemporary ideas of what "transgender" means. Notably, it focuses not only on Western medical ideas of gender affirmation but on cultural diversity surrounding the topic.

This book will primarily serve as a reference guide and jumping off point for further research for those seeking information about what it means to be transgender. While a reference book, it contains original work that may be cited in addition to the encyclopedia itself. In particular, the perspectives section of the book includes writings from some of the world's foremost trans writers, activists, artists, and historians.

Aaron Devor, the world's only chair in transgender studies, has been studying transgender for more than thirty years.

Ardel Haefele-Thomas received their PhD from Stanford University, where they studied the intersections of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socio-economics within 19th-century British literature and history.