The Islamic Republic of Iran permits, and even partially subsidizes, sex reassignment surgery. Based on historical and ethnographic research, Afsaneh Najmabadi examines what transsexuality means in postrevolutionary Iran.

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1. Entering the Scene 15
2. "Before" Transexuality 38
3. Murderous Passions, Deviant Insanities 75
4. "Around" 1979: Gay Tehran? 120
5. Verdicts of Science, Rulings of Faith 163
6. Changing the Terms: Playing "Snakes and Ladders" with the State 202
7. Living Patterns, Narrative Styles 231
8. Professing Selves: Sexual/Gender Proficiencies 275
Glossary of Persian Terms and Acronyms 303
Notes 305
Works Cited 373
Index 389