Me, Myself, They: Life Beyond the Binary

Ferguson, who uses they/them pronouns, highlights experiences from their life to explore gender and nonbinary identity expression in this somewhat disjointed memoir. Ferguson writes, “The ‘born in the wrong body’ narrative about trans people that is often reported in the media does not encapsulate my story.” They note that, despite standing out due to their appearance, their nonbinary identity is often “invisible” to others, because nonbinary gender categories aren’t widely known. They recount being diagnosed by a doctor in childhood as a “cross dresser” and receiving traumatizing interventions from doctors and psychologists to try to make them “normal.” After being bullied in school, violently attacked, and sexually assaulted, Ferguson turned to drugs, alcohol, and sexual relationships with older men. Transferring to a performing arts high school in 2001 brought new hope, and Ferguson went on to film school and established a film production company. The thematic, rather than chronological, structure makes it difficult for readers to feel they’re getting to know the author, and the tone is often flat. Less a work of self-reflection or self-revelation than a staunch defense of the right to be something different and a document of the social obstacles to doing so, this will likely appeal most to readers seeking representation of trans people and fans of Ferguson’s films. [em](May) [/em]