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horrorbutch 's review for:
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you are interested in LGBT History in America this is definitely a great book to read. Written by activist Riki Wilchins this book mostly focuses on her personal experience as a politically active trans woman, a founding member of Camp Trans and a member of the Transgender Menance.
Having done some research on my own in LGBT History I had known some of the things that Riki mentioned. I had heard about Michigans Womyn Music Festival and how they excluded Trans Woman from participating in it, but I hadn't known that there was a Camp right outside that protested against this, the Camp Trans, created and led by trans women, but also supported by many of the cis lesbians that had been visiting the festival. I had obviously known about the high amount of violence trans women, especially gnc, black and/or poor trans women faced, but reading about it like this from somebody who experienced it, is definitely something else than just knowing it happens. But there are many other things I didn't know and which were both hopeful and heartbreaking to read about, f.e. the fight trans woman had to go through to finally be seen by mainstream LGBT organizations and how these organizations kept refusing to pay any kind of attention to their plight.
Trigger warnings for assault, murder, transphobic and transmisogynistic slurs, police brutality and rape, as well as mentions of csa and incest.
One thing I didn't really like was how genderqueer people and people who fell outside of the gender binary were sometimes regarded as more radical, more political than binary or passing trans people. While trans people don't need to pass to deserve having their identity respected, those who do aren't automatically any less political than non-passing trans people. Also sometimes butch lesbians were referred to as genderqueer, which I didn't like at all, since I know a lot of butch lesbians (both cis and trans), who very much relate to their womanhood and would never identify as genderqueer simply because they are gender non-conforming (I felt these two terms were mixed up a bit).
All in all, however, this is a super interesting story about the history of transgender rights in the US and how they developed over time. I really liked how hopeful Riki was that maybe future generations can continue to change for the better as it is something I hope too. This book is incredibly well written and I enjoyed reading it a lot even though it is not always easy. Personally, I have to say this was very educational and very interesting and I can just recommend this book to anyone who is interested in History of transgender people and their fight in the United States.
If you are interested in LGBT History in America this is definitely a great book to read. Written by activist Riki Wilchins this book mostly focuses on her personal experience as a politically active trans woman, a founding member of Camp Trans and a member of the Transgender Menance.
Having done some research on my own in LGBT History I had known some of the things that Riki mentioned. I had heard about Michigans Womyn Music Festival and how they excluded Trans Woman from participating in it, but I hadn't known that there was a Camp right outside that protested against this, the Camp Trans, created and led by trans women, but also supported by many of the cis lesbians that had been visiting the festival. I had obviously known about the high amount of violence trans women, especially gnc, black and/or poor trans women faced, but reading about it like this from somebody who experienced it, is definitely something else than just knowing it happens. But there are many other things I didn't know and which were both hopeful and heartbreaking to read about, f.e. the fight trans woman had to go through to finally be seen by mainstream LGBT organizations and how these organizations kept refusing to pay any kind of attention to their plight.
Trigger warnings for assault, murder, transphobic and transmisogynistic slurs, police brutality and rape, as well as mentions of csa and incest.
One thing I didn't really like was how genderqueer people and people who fell outside of the gender binary were sometimes regarded as more radical, more political than binary or passing trans people. While trans people don't need to pass to deserve having their identity respected, those who do aren't automatically any less political than non-passing trans people. Also sometimes butch lesbians were referred to as genderqueer, which I didn't like at all, since I know a lot of butch lesbians (both cis and trans), who very much relate to their womanhood and would never identify as genderqueer simply because they are gender non-conforming (I felt these two terms were mixed up a bit).
All in all, however, this is a super interesting story about the history of transgender rights in the US and how they developed over time. I really liked how hopeful Riki was that maybe future generations can continue to change for the better as it is something I hope too. This book is incredibly well written and I enjoyed reading it a lot even though it is not always easy. Personally, I have to say this was very educational and very interesting and I can just recommend this book to anyone who is interested in History of transgender people and their fight in the United States.