Emi Koyama and transgender people

by Andrea James Reviewed August 28, 2026 13 min read

Emi Koyama (小山エミ) was an American activist who wrote on the rights of transgender people, disabled people, sex workers, and people with variations of sex characteristics (VSC). Koyama authored the influential 2001 work “The Transfeminist Manifesto” and co-founded Intersex Awareness Day.

Koyama is also known for collaborating with anti-trans activist Alice Dreger. They published together and controversially promoted a disease model of VSCs called “disorders of sex development.” Koyama also got involved in Dreger’s failed attempt to cancel a transgender panel at the 2008 National Women’s Studies Association conference.

Koyama used several online handles, including:

emigirl
Mika Mika
macska [Hungarian for cat] – mostly Japanese activism

Background

note: nearly all biographical details reported by and about Koyama have not been independently confirmed.

According to a personal Facebook page, Emi Koyama was born on August 24. Many sources give the year as 1975.

Koyama was reportedly born in Japan, then came to the United States with both parents. Koyama’s parents reportedly left the US, at which point Koyama was reportedly taken in by a religious white family in Missouri, according to a 2021 profile:

“She told me about her childhood: born in Japan to Communist Party members, then raised in a ‘super Asian’ area of California’s East Bay until her parents left the country and she was taken in by Southern Baptists in Missouri. She attended a high school so cloistered, the principal once banned Halloween costumes as Satanist. Koyama nonetheless found a kindred spirit in her band teacher, ‘a stereotypical butch woman’ who cooked her Hamburger Helper after school and let her watch women’s basketball on TV. ‘When you’re in such a conservative place,’ Koyama said, it’s rare to ‘see any women presenting themselves that way.’ She has spent her adulthood extending this model of queer feminist care.”

In the same profile, Koyama said, “I started college in Springfield, Missouri, in 1993, then went to a college in Maine. I worked on the student newspaper and got involved with a rape crisis center and started doing work around domestic violence and sexual assault.”

Koyama reportedly moved to Portland, Oregon in around 1997. Koyama later moved to Seattle, Washington.

Koyama died of cancer in Seattle on June 10, 2026, according to two GoFundMe campaigns.

Activism

Koyama was involved in a number of activist initiatives and websites, including:

Survivor Project [trans and intersex violence support founded by Diana Courvant]: board member (1997–2009)
(e)merging [third wave feminism in Japanese]: site owner (2000–2026)
Transfeminism: site owner (2000–2009)
Intersex Society of North America: intern (2001–2002)
Confluere [performance and publication collective]: co-founder (2002–2026)
Transracial Abductees [criticized white fostering and adoption of nonwhite children]: site owner (2002–2026)
Intersex Initiative: site owner (2003–2026)
Intersex Awareness Day: co-founder with Betsy Driver (2004)
interACT (formerly Advocates for Informed Choice; originally Institute for Intersex Children and the Law): advisory board founding member (2006)
Japan-U.S. Feminist Network for Decolonization: co-director (2014–2026)
Church of Harm Reduction [drug policy]: co-founder (2016–2026)
Coalition for Rights and Safety for People in the Sex Trade in Seattle/King County Area: coordinator (2017–2026)
Aileen’s [sex worker support]: co-founder (2019–2026)

Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival

Starting in 2002, Koyama maintained an online repository of information about the trans-exclusionary policies of Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (MWMF), founded by Lisa Vogel and held annually starting in 1976. In 1991, MWMF removed trans attendee Nancy Jean Burkholder and instated a “womyn-born-womyn” policy that explicitly barred transgender women from attending. In 1995, trans activists and supporters began holding a Camp Trans protest outside the MWMF entrance. Koyama noted, “I have never attended Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival or Camp Trans for economic and medical reasons (I have disabilities which make camping very difficult).”

Facing mounting pressure and boycotts over the ensuing years, Vogel ended the festival in 2015.

“Disorders of sex development”

At a February 2006 conference at University of Vermont, Koyama promoted the reframing of people with variations of sex characteristics under a disability model called “disorders of sex development” (DSD):

“Let’s bring the subject back to the new term, DSD. After speaking with many people, intersex activists and non-activists, as well as parents and advocates, I came to the conclusion that I would endorse the change from intersex to DSD. The main reason for this is pragmatic: the word “intersex” simply didn’t work, and I don’t foresee that situation changing. Even with the negative connotation associated with the word “disorder,” DSD is a term that I think many patients and their family members can use to describe who they are.

[…] For all others worried about the negative connotation associated with the word “disorder,” I’d like to think of the shift not as the embracement of the medical model, but a commitment to the political strategy that seeks to radically redefine and re-read it. I’d like to think of the medical label not as the source of stigma, but a link to the rich analyses and history of accomplishments of the radical disability rights movement and Disability Studies.

[…] I am endorsing the shift from “intersex” to DSD not as a simple gesture of either defeat or confidence, but as a way to affect gradual reforms of the medical model that pathologizes intersexuality and simultaneously to collaborate, to build links with the tradition of radical disability activists and theorists who are seeking to uproot it.”

Koyama’s promotion of DSD was opposed by many activists, academics, and healthcare providers.

In a FAQ for Intersex Initiative, Koyama explained:

“I would personally like ‘variation’ or ‘anomaly,’ but doctors don’t treat ‘variations.’ […] As an activist I feel that we need a label to talk about medical ethics and protocol, children’s rights, and other political/philosophical issues. I continue to use the term ‘intersex’ for this purpose, and use ‘DSD’ only when I’m addressing the medical community.”

National Women’s Studies Association conference

In 2001, Koyama helped form the Third Wave Feminisms Interest Group at the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) conference and was a regular participant in ensuing years.

In August 2007, the New York Times published an article by Benedict Carey that promoted Alice Dreger’s defense of J. Michael Bailey later published in Archives of Sexual Behavior. On a listserv for transgender people in academia, Joelle Ruby Ryan described Dreger’s article as “clear and direct hatred against the ascendance of transgender people, activists and academics in society.” Koyama replied, “I personally don’t believe that either Dreger or Bailey have ill intentions.”

Ryan also stated, “People like Bailey and Dreger make it harder for struggling trans academics to succeed in our field.” Koyama replied, “Right, but failing to challenge the problematic tactics of some people among our own could also make it harder for trans academics to succeed too, because transgender activists are not the only ones who can employ such tactics.”

On September 17, 2007, Ryan put out a Call for Proposals for a planned NWSA panel titled “The Bailey Brouhaha: Community Members Speak Out on Resisting Transphobia and Sexism in Academia and Beyond.” Two days later, Alice Dreger joined the group to criticize Ryan’s announcement. In a reply to Dreger, Koyama wrote:

“I challenged Joelle’s characterisation of your work when it came up on another list (trans-academics), and told her that she was putting herself at risk as a scholar working within a controversial field (trans issues) by tolerating tactics that breed fear and stifle academic freedom.”

Despite Dreger’s sustained efforts to stifle the panel, it occurred at the 2008 NWSA conference, featuring presentations by Joelle Ruby Ryan, Katrina Rose, Élise Hendrick, and Andrea James (author of this site and profile). Dreger presented a paper at the same conference titled “Activism in the Bailey Transsexualism Controversy Compared to Intersex Patients’ Rights Activism.”

At the same 2008 conference, Koyama criticized NWSA, which had invited Koyama to speak on a panel honoring Audre Lorde. NWSA stated they could not cover travel expenses and offered complimentary membership and registration instead. Koyama solicited donations to cover most costs and presented at the panel. Koyama called NWSA’s treatment “racist feminism” and shared reflections since publishing “The Transfeminine Manifesto,” echoing a 2003 postscript written for the book Catching a Wave:

“In an effort to forge an alliance between transsexual and non-transsexual women, the piece neglected the struggles of transsexual men and other transgender or genderqueer people who do not identify as “women” unless it was convenient to include them. The piece was also weak on intersectional analysis–that is, how anti-trans sentiments and oppressions compound and complicate oppressions other than sexism, including and especially racism and classism.

[…] The manifesto focuses mainly on the intersection of sexism and the oppression against trans people, yet it fails to address how these issues intersect with other social injustices. For example, the manifesto refers to women of color’s critiques of white women’s racism within the feminist movement, but fails to address how trans women can become allies of women of color.”

Later work

Starting in the 2010s, Koyama expanded from trans and intersex activism into advocacy around drug policy, support for sex workers, and anti-colonialism that focused on the American military presence in Japan.

In 2013, Koyama presented on a panel at the Forging Justice conference, jointly sponsored by National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) and HAVEN, a Michigan nonprofit focused on ending sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

“After the panel was over, Cristy from HAVEN came up to me and told me something shocking: minutes if not seconds before the panel was to begin, two white male co-chairs of NOMAS told her that the live-streaming of the panel would be turned off for my presentation after two other panelists spoke. She also told me that the men had indicated that, depending on what I say, they were prepared to step in and interrupt my presentation on the spot.”

Koyama and others presented a list of demands to NOMAS following the event.

Following Koyama’s death in 2026, a number of activists and academics shared reflections on Koyama’s work and legacy.

The Seattle Office of Civil Rights released a statement:

“Emi served on SOCR’s Community Task Force on Criminal Legal System Realignment Task Force. Together, the Task Force developed a series of recommendations to reduce the harms of our criminal legal system and build a more equitable city. The Task Force’s work has served as the foundation for our office’s analysis of numerous city policies since. The Task Force’s work also helped launch the Community Responses to Domestic Violence Workgroup, of which Emi was a member.”

References

Son, Lenée (August 27, 2026). Remembering Emi Koyama. Seattle Office for Civil Rights https://ocr.seattle.gov/remembering-emi-koyama/

Herold, Lauren (August 25, 2026). Prolific Trans and Intersex Activist Emi Koyama Has Died. Her Legacy Reminds Us To Imagine Transfeminist Futures. Autostraddle https://www.autostraddle.com/emi-koyama-in-memorium/

Staff report (June 16, 2026). Honoring Emi Koyama. InterACT https://interactadvocates.org/honoring-emi-koyama/

Laurent, Bo (June 15, 2026). Emi Koyama at ISNA — her legacy. https://bolaurent.com/blog/posts/emi_koyama.html

Roberts, Lia K. (September 2, 2025). Feminism, Waves of. In The Sage International Encyclopedia of Politics and Gender, p. 428. SAGE Publications, ISBN 978-1071918487

Kim, E. Tammy (November 2021). Making Space: Aileen’s serves food, clothes, and revolutionary politics to people in the sex trade. Lux Magazine https://lux-magazine.com/article/aileens-mutual-aid/

Costello, Lindsay (November 26, 2019). In Portland, An Annual Exhibition by and for Sex Workers. Hyperallergic https://hyperallergic.com/in-portland-an-annual-exhibition-by-and-for-sex-workers/

Austin, Tyler (October 26, 2016). Today In Gay History: First Public Demonstration By Intersex People In North America. Out https://www.out.com/today-gay-history/2016/10/26/today-gay-history-first-public-demonstration-intersex-people-north-america

Driver, Betsy (October 14, 2015). The origins of Intersex Awareness Day. Intersex Day https://intersexday.org/en/origin-intersex-awareness-day/

Rook, Erin (July 8, 2014). Activist Emi Koyama on Addressing the Roots of Youth Exploitation. The Bend Source https://www.bendsource.com/news/activist-emi-koyama-on-addressing-the-roots-of-youth-exploitation-2355175/

Mirk, Sarah (August 19, 2013). Interview with Activist Emi Koyama on Silencing and Male Feminists. Bitch Media https://www.bitchmedia.org/post/interview-with-activist-emi-koyama-on-silencing-and-male-feminists [archive]

Dreger, Alice (November 17, 2007). Why “Disorders of Sex Development”? (On Language and Life). https://alicedreger.com/dsd/

Ryan, Joelle Ruby (September 25, 2007). Academic Attack Against Transwoman by Alice Dreger. via Lynn Conway https://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/News/US/NWSA/Academic_Attack_Against_Transwoman_by_Alice_Dreger.html

Barnes, Taylor (April 2, 2003). Intersex patients demand equal rights. Portland State Vanguard https://psuvanguard.com/intersex-patients-demand-equal-rights/

Selected writing by Koyama

Koyama, Emi (August 14, 2013). Silencing and Intimidation of Women of Color at ‘Men Against Sexism’ Conference. Shakesville http://www.shakesville.com/2013/08/silencing-and-intimidation-of-women-of.html [archive]

Koyama, Emi [as “Mika Mika”] (October 12, 2011). “Unhealthy”: On Coping with Pain in Socially Inappropriate Ways – New Zine Release! Eminism https://eminism.org/blog/entry/270 [archive]

Koyama, Emi (June 24, 2008). This Is Not a Tribute to Audre Lorde: Racist Feminism at NWSA 2008. Eminism http://eminism.org/readings/racistfeminism.html [archive]

Koyama, Emi (2007; updated 2008). Frequently Asked Questions about the “DSD” Controversy. Intersex Initiative http://intersexinitiative.org/articles/dsdfaq.html [archive]

Koyama, Emi (September 19, 2007). Not All Threats to Academic Freedom are Equal. Eminism https://eminism.org/interchange/2007/20070919-wmstl.html [archive]

Koyama, Emi (August 22, 2007). Challenge Privilege, but Avoid Ascribing Intentions: The Bailey controversy hits the mainstream. Eminism https://eminism.org/interchange/2007/20070822-transacademics.html [archive]

Koyama, Emi (February 2006). From “Intersex” to “DSD”: Toward a Queer Disability Politics of Gender. Presented at University of Vermont Translating Identity conference http://www.intersexinitiative.org/articles/intersextodsd.html [archive]

Koyama, Emi (c. 2006). Is “Gender Identity Disorder” an Intersex Condition? Intersex Initiative http://www.intersexinitiative.org/articles/gid.html [archive]

Koyama, E., Dreger, A., & Wilson, B. (2004). Intersex Surgery. The Hastings Center Report, 34(2), 4. https://doi.org/10.2307/3527672

Koyama, Emi (2002, updated often). Michigan/Trans Controversy Archive. Eminism https://eminism.org/michigan/index.html [archive]

Koyama, Emi; Weasel, Lisa (2002). From Social Construction to Social Justice: Transforming How We Teach about Intersexuality. Women’s Studies Quarterly Vol. 30, No. 3/4, pp. 169-178. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40003252

Koyama, Emi (February 4, 2002). Intersex Studies to be Offered at Portland State University. Intersex Society of North America https://isna.org/node/53/

Koyama, Emi (January 18, 2002). V-Day endorses ISNA’s mission to end violence against intersex people. Intersex Society of North America https://isna.org/node/37/

Koyama, Emi (January 7, 2002). Intersex Activists Respond to The Vagina Monologues. Intersex Society of North America https://isna.org/node/152/

Koyama, Emi; Weasel, Lisa (June 2001). Teaching Intersex Issues: A guide for teachers in Women’s, Gender and Queer Studies. https://isna.org/pdf/teaching-intersex-web.pdf

Koyama, Emi (2001). The Transfeminist Manifesto. Eminism https://eminism.org/readings/pdf-rdg/tfmanifesto.pdf [archive]

reprinted with postscript in Dicker, Rory; Piepmeier, Alison [editors] (2003). Catching a Wave: Reclaiming Feminism for the 21st Century. Northeastern University Press, ISBN 978-1555535711 PDF: https://readthenothing.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/transfemmanifesto_printable-1.pdf

Koyama, E. (2000, republished 2020). Whose feminism is it anyway? The unspoken racism of the trans inclusion debate. The Sociological Review, 68(4), 735–744. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120934685

Media

University of Toronto Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies with Charlene A. Carruthers, Karma Chávez, Syan Bhattacharya, and Emi Koyama (April 6, 2026). Queer Directions 2026: Trans and Queer Resistance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QrgmUYV4Fg

University of Washington Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies with with Emi Koyama, Amanda Sáenz and Sean Saifa Wall (February 19, 2025). Toward Intersex Futures: Panel with Emi Koyama, Amanda Sáenz & Sean Saifa Wall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AD3Ui4XI7o

emigirlpdx (June 29, 2023). WE ARE AILEENS (rev2). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlRcjZHO9q4

Harvard University with Robert Reid-Pharr, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Daniel P.S., Jane Kamensky, Fatimah Asgha, Dana Bolger, Melissa Febos, Kimberly Foster. amd Emi Koyama (September 28, 2018). Feminisms Now! | A Schlesinger Library 75th Anniversary Event || Radcliffe Institute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spOk0v4B3-Y&t=3448s

The University of Chicago (August 28, 2015). Colonialism, Militarism, and the Political Economy of Transracial Adoption. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JptL-3e30QY

GenderTalk with Nancy Nangeroni, Gordene MacKenzie, and Emi Koyama (June 24, 2006). Program # 564: Emi Koyama, Director of Intersex Initiative, on the emergence of a new term, “Disorder of Sex Differentiation (DSD).” https://www.gendertalk.com/radio/programs/550/gt564.shtml