Ain't I A Woman? | Joy Ladin | TEDxBeaconStreet

"What makes a woman?" That was the title of Elinor Burkett's NY Times editorial questioning whether male-to-female transsexuals like me should be considered women -- and it's the question I explore in this intimate talk.

Joy Ladin's return to Yeshiva University as a woman after receiving tenure as a man made her the first openly transgender employee of an Orthodox Jewish institution and made page-3 news in the New York Post. Her memoir of gender transition, Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey Between Genders, was a finalist for a 2012 National Jewish Book Award, and winner of a Forward Fives award. She has given over 120 talks about transgender identity, and holds the Gottesman Chair in English at Yeshiva University.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx