In Native American and Polynesian societies, they have traditionally had "two spirit" people among them, what we'd call transgender or at least noticeably effeminate today. The difference is that in those societies, the two spirit people were revered. In most other parts of the world, they have been and still are persecuted.
Respected feminist scholars like Camille Paglia suggest that transgenderism is a sign of cultural collapse, but that's probably her Catholic upbringing shading her views.
In reality, trans people have always been with us in western society. Only lately can they get reassignment surgery and demand their rights.
It's interesting that even very liberal women sound reactionary when talking about transitioning or fully transitioned men-to-women. They feel like these men haven't paid their dues and will never know what being a "real woman" is about.
Paglia-