Joanne Herman is a retired American executive and philanthropist. She has been a key figure in developing transgender philanthropic leadership through her work with and support of The Point Foundation, Fenway Health, Outgiving, and Outfest. Joanne was the major funder for the restoration of the 1960s documentary Queens at Heart, a rare color film of trans people living and working in pre-Stonewall Manhattan.
She is also the author of the 2009 book Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not.
Comments on Bailey and Dreger
In 2007, Herman published about historian Alice Dreger‘s attempt to exonerate psychologist J. Michael Bailey for his 2003 anti-transgender book The Man Who Would Be Queen. She wrote for The Advocate, “To focus on the overzealous response of some trans activists is to miss the bigger picture — that transsexuals are fed up with non-trans “experts” claiming to know us better than we do.” Herman added:
“Focusing on the personal attacks against Bailey is like discussing the clashes between protesters and police in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention without emphasizing the incredible wave of social change sweeping the nation at the time. Trans people have reached the point where they are fed up with any nontrans “expert” — not just Bailey — who’s dismissing our opinions. Our view is that, much like a nongay person can’t possibly imagine loving someone of the same sex, a nontransgender person can’t possibly imagine the feeling of living in the wrong gender.”
Later life
In retirement with her wife Terry, Joanne has become a serious bowler, even creating the website Bowling Seriously.
References
Herman J (September 4, 2007). Why the Bailey controversy won’t die soon. The Advocate. https://www.advocate.com/politics/commentary/2007/09/04/why-bailey-controversy-wont-die-soon
Resources:
Bowling Seriously (bowlingseriously.com)
Joanne Herman (joanneherman.com) [archive]