Digital Transgender Archive

Interview with Tona Brown

Download the full-sized image of Interview with Tona Brown

Tona Brown is a world class, world renowned mezzo – soprano violinist. In this oral history, she shares her experience about growing up with an awareness of her gendered difference in Norfolk, VA, and coming out as a transgender woman, with a very supportive mother and aunts. Brown details some of the issues with being out as a transgender person in the field of classical music and many of the politics that she has had to deal with. She also discusses her hopes for the transgender community today and worries that there is potential for trans people to be exploited by the media as more attention is placed on the transgender community.

Item Information:

Identifier
th83kz61j
Collection
Oral Histories with People of Color
Institution
Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection, University of Minnesota
Creator(s)
Jenkins, Andrea
Brown, Tona
Publisher
University of Minnesota Minneapolis Libraries
Date Created
Sep. 22, 2016
Genre
Oral Histories
Transcriptions
Subject(s)
Carnegie Hall
Tona Brown
Places
Virginia > City of Alexandria > Alexandria
Virginia > City of Norfolk > Norfolk
Topic(s)
Classical music
Counseling
Entertainers
Family members
Hormones
MtFs
Parents of transgender people
Transgender people
Violinists
Resource Type
Moving image
Text
Language
English
Related URL
https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/search?facets%5Bcollection_name_s%5D%5B%5D=Transgender+Oral+History+Project&q=transgender
Rights
Copyright undetermined
For more information on copyright, please read our policies