By Jodie Walls, Rhys Wright, Shan Heyworth and Lexie Knight
To celebrate Trans Awareness Month and showcase some incredible works of literature by trans writers, we’d like to recommend some non-fiction books that will introduce you to a wide variety of trans experiences.
The T in LGBT: Everything You Need to Know About Being Trans by Jamie Raines
Jamie Raines, perhaps better known as “Jammidodger,” is a trans man from the UK who has built a following online from his YouTube and TikTok videos. When Jamie first started sharing his journey online in 2011, there weren’t many trans creators and none were UK-based. He started his channel to document his personal journey in hopes that it would help others going through the same thing.
This book explores Jamie’s journey of discovering that he is trans, dealing with topics such as gender identity, gender dysphoria, starting hormones and surgery options. It is a good read both for people who are trans and for allies wishing to learn more. Raines suggests that you jump to the sections on topics you want to learn more about. The book includes information presented in easy-to-understand language and a glossary at the front that explains terms relating to the transgender community that the reader may be unfamiliar with.
We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan, edited by Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma
Lou Sullivan was a pioneering trans man who kept detailed diaries from the age of ten. This collection of entries compiled by Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma charts Lou’s lifelong journey of self-discovery; whilst Sullivan details his experience growing up unaware of other trans people, sans mentorship or guidance, these diaries act as a guide for future generations looking for their trans role models.
Beginning with Sullivan’s childhood in Wisconsin, his diary entries depict his move to San Francisco and his attempt to live as a gay trans man during a time when doctors refused to accept that anyone could identify as both. Initially blocked from receiving sex reassignment surgery, he ultimately successfully campaigned for homosexuality to no longer disqualify someone from medically transitioning.
Living openly as a gay trans man, Sullivan formed a community of trans men and worked to improve public recognition of trans men. In the recording of his personal life during this time, Sullivan demonstrates an eye for sensual details that often craft some quite vivid scenes; yet, he equally makes quotidian day-to-day experiences feel just as lively, presenting his transition as something that could often be joyful and exciting, despite wider political and social ostracism.
Towards the end of the book, as we progress through diary entries, Sullivan’s awareness that his writings might eventually be passed on to the next generation becomes more pronounced. Taken as a whole, Lou Sullivan’s diaries form a self-portrait of a remarkable person and his lifelong pursuit of queer joy.
A Short History of Trans Misogyny by Jules Gill-Peterson
In the current social and political context, transmisogyny is a common and pertinent topic of discussion, but in A Short History of Trans Misogyny, Jules Gill-Peterson offers a new and enlightening perspective on this particular “targeted devaluation” of trans femininity.
Gill-Peterson, a writer, scholar and Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University, best known for her 2019 Lambda Literary Award-winning Histories of the Transgender Child, traces, in this new work, the history of trans misogyny in a colonial context, showing how justifications for violence such as the “trans panic” defence system are tied to colonialism. Gill-Peterson not only explores targeted violence towards transgender women but also explores the related “trans feminization” and violence towards colonial communities who, despite not identifying as transgender, are often victims of transmisogyny. The Latin American Travesti community, who reject the label of transgender due to their existence as a community prior to the development of trans terminology in the early-to-mid twentieth century, would be one example of such a group facing both colonial trans-femininisation and transmisogynistic violence.
In under 200 pages, this really is a short history, but with its insightful commentary and engaging approach to the stories explored within, A Short History of Trans Misogyny packs a punch.
To My Trans Sisters by Charlie Craggs
To My Trans Sisters is a modern, unique take on non-fiction; communicated through personal letters addressed to the contributors’ “Trans Sisters,” this collection creates a safe space between its pages. With a diverse list of authors, To My Trans Sisters offers a perspective for everyone to relate to and proves the point of solidarity across the world. During times when support can seem scarce, or entirely unavailable, a collection like this can offer a sense of companionship to its readers.
The experience when reading through the letters is emotional, touching and eye-opening; the format is fresh and places the reader right in the centre of these much-needed conversations. The directness of a letter is comforting for those who need it and punishing for those who choose ignorance – you cannot escape the love or unity in the pages of this book.
If non-fiction is something that you struggle to read, then this book may be for you. The style and structure are easy to digest, often colloquial and very uplifting. To My Trans Sisters proves that literature can be both informative and offer a much-needed personal touch.