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Pride Month: Transgender Reads

By Heather S on Jun 13, 2015 4:43 PM

Trans Bodies Trans Selves book cover

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community
edited by Laura Erickson-Schroth
Oxford University Press, 2014

"Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a revolutionary resource--a comprehensive, reader-friendly guide for transgender people, with each chapter written by transgender or genderqueer authors. Inspired by Our Bodies, Ourselves, the classic and powerful compendium written for and by women, Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is widely accessible to the transgender population, providing authoritative information in an inclusive and respectful way and representing the collective knowledge base of dozens of influential experts. Each chapter takes the reader through an important transgender issue, such as race, religion, employment, medical and surgical transition, mental health topics, relationships, sexuality, parenthood, arts and culture, and many more. Anonymous quotes and testimonials from transgender people who have been surveyed about their experiences are woven throughout, adding compelling, personal voices to every page. In this unique way, hundreds of viewpoints from throughout the community have united to create this strong and pioneering book. It is a welcoming place for transgender and gender-questioning people, their partners and families, students, professors, guidance counselors, and others to look for up-to-date information on transgender life."

Transgender History book cover

Transgender History
by Susan Stryker
Seal Press
2008

"A chronological account of transgender theory documents major movements, writings, and events, offering insight into the contributions of key historical figures while discussing treatments of transgenderism in pop culture."
The Riddle of Gender book cover

The Riddle of Gender: Science, Activism, and Transgender Rights
by Deborah Rudacille
Pantheon Books
2005

"A close-up look at the transgender movement and what it means in terms of our basic attitudes toward gender identity examines both historical and contemporary considerations, profiling people whose bodies and psyches fall between the regular boundaries of male and female and examining such issues as the ambivalent relationship between the gay and transgender communities."

Normal Life book cover

Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law
by Dean Spade
South End Press
2011

"Setting forth a politic that goes beyond the quest for mere legal inclusion, Normal Life is an urgent call for justice and trans liberation, and the radical transformations it will require."

 

Classics:

Transgender Warriors book cover

Transgender Warriors: Making History From Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman
by Leslie Feinberg
Beacon Press
1996

"In this fascinating personal journey through history, the author uncovers persuasive evidence that there have always been people who crossed the cultural boundaries of gender."

Gender Outlaw book cover

Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us
by Kate Bornstein
Vintage Books
1995

"Recounts a woman's acclimation into female roles after a sex-change operation, outlining the conflicting messages that are imposed upon each gender and presenting observations on a repressed society."

See also: Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation edited by Kate Bornstein, Seal Press, 2010

My New Gender Workbook book cover

My New Gender Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving World Peace Through Gender Anarchy and Sex Positivity, 2nd ed.
by Kate Bornstein
Routledge
2013

"Since its first publication in 1997, My Gender Workbook has been challenging, encouraging, questioning, and handholding those trying to figure out how to become a "real man," a "real woman," or "something else entirely."...With new quizzes, new puzzles, new exercises, and plenty of Kate's over-the-top style, My Gender Workbook, 2e promises to help a new generation create their own unique place on the gender spectrum."

 

Biographies:

Redefining Realness book cover

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More
by Janet Mock
Atria Books
2014

"In a landmark book, an extraordinary young woman recounts her coming-of-age as a transgender teen--a deeply personal and empowering portrait of self-revelation, adversity, and heroism."

Man Alive book cover

Man Alive: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness and Becoming a Man
by Thomas Page McBee
City Lights Books
2014

"What does it really mean to be a man?In Man Alive, Thomas Page McBee attempts to answer that question by focusing on two of the men who most impacted his life--one, his otherwise ordinary father who abused him as a child, and the other, a mugger who threatened his life and then released him in an odd moment of mercy. Standing at the brink of the life-changing decision to transition from female to male, McBee seeks to understand these examples of flawed manhood as he cobbles together his own identity."

Warrior Princess book cover

Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy Seal's Journey to Coming Out Transgender
by Kristin Beck & Anne Speckhard, Ph.D.
Advances Press
2013

"This is the journey of a girl in a man's body and her road to self-actualization as a woman amidst the PTSD of war, family rejection and our society's strict gender rules and perceptions. It is about a fight to be free inside one's own body, a fight that requires the strength of a Warrior Princess."

 

Teen Reads:

Feeling Wrong in Your Own Body book cover

Feeling Wrong In Your Own Body: Understanding What It Means To Be Transgender
by Jaime A. Seba
Mason Crest Pub.
2011

"Explores what it means to be transgender, based on the personal experiences of the men and women who've taken steps to transition."

Transgender Lives book cover

Transgender Lives: Complex Stories, Complex Voices
by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
Twenty-First Century Books
2015

"Offers a look into the lives of transgender people and how they came to better understand, accept, and express their gender identities."

Some Assembly Required book cover

Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen
by Arin Andrews with Joshua Lyon
Simon & Schuster BFYR
2014

"Seventeen-year-old Arin Andrews shares all the hilarious, painful, and poignant details of undergoing gender reassignment as a high school student in this winning teen memoir."

Rethinking Normal book cover

Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition
by Katie Rain Hill with Ariel Schrag
Simon & Schuster BFYR
2014

"In her unique, generous, and affecting voice, nineteen-year-old Katie Hill shares her personal journey of undergoing gender reassignment."

Beyond Magenta book cover

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
by Susan Kuklin
Candlewick Press
2014

"Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference."

 



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