Celebrate IDAHOBIT week with Sam Elkin in conversation about his new book ‘Detachable Penis: a queer legal saga’.

In Detachable Penis, Sam relates his bumpy journey from lesbian to transgender lawyer in the aftermath of the 2017 marriage equality postal survey. As the inaugural lawyer of Victoria’s queer law service, Sam is quickly immersed in thorny debates around trans inclusion in sport, children’s access to puberty blockers, birth certificate law reform and the Christian right’s demand for enhanced religious freedoms. Set against the backdrop of a growing moral panic about the ‘trans agenda’, Sam reflects on the double-edged sword of visibility post the ‘transgender tipping point’.

Sam Elkin is a writer, event producer and co-editor of Nothing to Hide: Voices of Trans and Gender Diverse Australia (Allen & Unwin, 2022). Born in England and raised on Noongar land, Sam now lives on unceded Wurundjeri land. Sam’s essays have been published in the Griffith Review, Australian Book Review, Sydney Review of Books and Kill Your Darlings. He hosts the 3RRR radio show Queer View Mirror and is a TILDE Film Festival board member.

Please contact Coburg Library a week prior to the event if you have any access requirements for you to fully participate. The Coburg Library meeting room has an inbuilt hearing loop and a personal radio frequency (RF) hearing assistance system is available upon request.