Trans histories, trans stories, and trans community.
Each are critical, each nourish the soul, and I have devoted myself to each of them.
I am Aino Pihlak. I am a trans woman, PhD student at the University of Toronto, and social historian of trans feminine existence. My research interests include 20th century, Anglophone trans feminine subcultures along with 20th century histories of trans feminine sex work and porn. I became a historian out of a deep love of those who came before me, and who made my journey easier. In turn, I hope my scholarship, public-speaking, and advocacy make it easier for those who will come after me. At a time of unprecedented trans visibility counter-balanced by a surge in trans misogyny and transphobia, illuminating these histories is more important then ever. I am passionate about telling these stories to those in community and beyond. If you are interested in hearing these stories, or for any other business enquiries, please contact me at: chris.pihlak [at] mail.utoronto.ca.
Academic Expertise: The passion that I bring to academic service, and my drive to create meticulous trans histories are acts of service to the community which sustains me. This sense of duty to my community underpins my drive for scholastic excellence. I embody this passion in all that I do.
I am a 2024-2025 Doctoral Fellow with the Centre for the Study of the United States and the Northrop Frye Centre at Victoria College, the 2024-2026 Graduate Student Representative for the Canadian Historical Association, and a 2024-2025 Visiting Research fellow with the University of Victoria's Trans Chair. Before my arrival at the University of Toronto, I obtained a master's in History at the University of Victoria. There the Faculty of Humanities awarded me its 2024 Gold Medal for Outstanding Master's Thesis, for my thesis titled “A Movable Closet: Constructions of Femininity Among Twentieth Century Transfeminine Periodical Communities.” My work can be found, or is forthcoming, in Sexualities, Gender & History, The Abusable Past, the Journal of the History of Sexuality, and Intersections. I have extensive experience in facilitation, archival research, historical writing, academic lectures, and public-speaking. I hope my analyses of the complexities and messiness of past trans lives honours those who built the path I now walk on.