Were I Not A Girl: The Inspiring Story of Dr. James Barry

This picture book biography illuminates a lesser known 19th century figure important to LGBTQ+ history. Dr. James Barry, a transgender British military surgeon, was a tireless advocate for improving health care for marginalized individuals, performed one of the first documented cesarean sections in which both mother and child survived, and ultimately achieved the title Inspector General of Hospitals. Backmatter includes additional details about Dr. Barry’s personal and professional life as well as a brief discussion of the concept of gender as a spectrum.