This personal background explains how Feinberg researches and interprets the information she presents in the rest of the book, and also offers insight into which elements of Stone Butch Blues are autobiographical.
She then discusses how transphobia developed alongside classism, patriarchy and homophobia to allow class-based societies to concentrate wealth and power among wealthy men.
She begins by expanding her research on Joan of Arc to discuss how the Catholic church sought to consolidate power by suppressing pagan traditions which valorized transgender people.
Feinberg argues that the complexities of passing for long periods of time indicate that a desire to escape sexism or access economic opportunity alone is not sufficient to explain these actions.
She begins by discussing early instances of explicitly trans organization, such as the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee in interwar Germany and the Stonewall Riots in New York City.
Although these events have often been thought of primarily in the context of Gay and Lesbian movements, Feinberg makes the case that transgender people were central to these efforts.