Cristan Williams is an American independent researcher and activist. Williams is editor of TransAdvocate.
Background
According to a self-published bio, Williams “co-founded the first federally funded trans-only homeless program, pioneered affordable health care for trans people in the Houston area, won the right for trans people to change their gender on Texas ID prior to surgery, started numerous trans social service programs and founded the Transgender Center as well as the Transgender Archives.” Williams is a founding member of the Transgender Foundation of America and the Bee Busy Wellness Center.
TransAdvocate.com was created in 2002. Cristan Williams became TransAdvocate’s managing editor in 2012. Williams was an advisor on the book Trans Bodies, Trans Selves and The Gender Book.
Williams earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020, then took courses at online college Saybroook University, earning a master’s degree in 2024 and then began a doctorate program. Williams then earned an MBA in 2025 from online school Western Governors University.
References
Houston Area Rainbow Collective History (ARCH) oral histories (March 10, 2010). Cristan Williams oral history interview. https://digitalcollections.rice.edu/Documents/Detail/cristan-williams-oral-history-interview/249809
Selected writing by Williams
Williams C (2021). Women’s Movement, Trans Inclusion In/Exclusion From. In Goldberg AE, Beemyn G [Eds.] The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies, SAGE, ISBN 9781544393841
Williams C (2021). TERFs. In Goldberg AE, Beemyn G [Eds.] The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies, SAGE, ISBN 9781544393841
Williams C (2020). The ontological woman: A history of deauthentication, dehumanization, and violence. The Sociological Review, 68(4), 718–734. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120938292
Williams, Cristan (January 22, 2017). Disco sexology series. TransAdvocate
- Part 1: Dr. Zucker, CAMH, & conversion therapy (January 17). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-i-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19556.htm
- Part 2: The timeline (January 22). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-ii-the-history-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19630.htm
- Part 3: The report controversy (January 23, 2017). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-iii-the-report-controversy-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19672.htm
- Part 4: interview with the CAMH medical director Kwame McKenzie (January 31, 2017) https://www.transadvocate.com/part-iv-interview-with-the-camh-medical-director-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19703.htm
- Part 5; Interview with Zucker’s patient Erika Muse (February 2, 2017). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-v-interview-with-zuckers-patient-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19727.htm
- Part 6: Interview with Gender Infinity co-founder Colt Keo-Meier (February 9, 2017). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-vi-interview-with-gender-infinity-co-founder-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19773.htm
- Part 7: Interview with Arlen Lev, affirmative therapy pioneer (February 15, 2017). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-vii-interview-with-affirmative-therapy-pioneer-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19880.htm
- Part 8: Interview with Dylan Scholinski author of The Last Time I wore a Dress (February 21, 2017). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-viii-interview-the-author-of-the-last-time-i-wore-a-dress-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19904.htm
- Part 9: Conclusion (March 1, 2017). https://www.transadvocate.com/part-ix-the-circular-logic-of-disco-sexology-the-rise-and-fall-of-discosexology-dr-zucker-camh-conversion-therapy_n_19923.htm
Williams C (2016). Radical Inclusion. TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly, 3(1–2), 254–258. https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-3334463
Williams C, Rawson KJ (2014). Transgender*: The Rhetorical Landscape of a Term. Present Tense, 3(2), 1–9. [PDF]
Williams C (2014). Transgender. TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly, 1(1–2), 232–234. https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-2400136
Williams, Cristan (2014). Alpha Male. In Ray, Douglas [Ed.] The Queer South: LGBTQ Writers on the American South, pp. 276-278. Sibling Rivalry Press, ISBN 978-1937420802
Resources
Cristan Williams: Ehipassiko (cristanwilliams.com)
TransAdvocate (transadvocate.com)
- Cristan Williams
- transadvocate.com/cristan-williams
Transgender Foundation of America (tfahouston.com)
The TERFS (theterfs.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
TG Center (tgctr.org) [archive]
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Amercan Board of Sexology (americanboardofsexology.org)
- Cristan Williams
- americanboardofsexology.org/sexologist/cristan-williams