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"Word of Mouth" How The Trans+ Community Found Itself

Lynn Conway's "Successful" Trans+ People Websites

The Internet was a democratizing force for Trans+ activism. Lynn Conway’s websites, "Successful TransMen," and "Transsexual Women's Successes," were an example of this. When she started these sites, an overwhelming amount of attention was focused the negative sides of transitioning, such as the fear and hatred that came with being Trans+. Conway's websites sought to show positive examples of Trans+ people and to inspire their readers. The websites proved to be highly viewed and occasionally controversial. Both were translated into multiple languages.

Transsexual Women's Successes Website
Successful TransMen Website
Lynn Conway explaining the development of her websites - February 4, 2020

In her oral history, Conway remembers what inspired her to create her websites. Listen to her reflect on it and what “successful” meant for her.

Lynn Conway received an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Victoria, Nov. 9th, 2016, nominated by UVic's Chair in Transgender Studies. Lynn is a computer scientist and engineer who helped to pioneer modern information technology and is a leading advocate for transgender rights.


For more internet activism, browse these pages:

To explore more of the exhibition, follow these pages:

< Early Internet Trans Activism Oral History Project >