To Be a Trans Man: Our Stories of Transition, Acceptance and Joy

Trans activist Woodger gathers a personal and illuminating collection of interviews with trans men and transmasculine people. Aiming to spotlight the diversity and positivity of trans experiences, Woodger gathers a broad range of interview subjects, including a memoir writer, a social media influencer, and a theater director. Their conversations touch on the experience of transitioning and being perceived as masculine, the need to see more trans people in the media, how trans men might disrupt trends of toxic masculinity, the privilege some trans men have in passing as cis and being able to access medical care, and the desire for more accepting language and social spaces for trans people. Many of the interviews also speak to the structural oppositions that trans people face, including an absence of inclusive workplaces and a lack of discussions on trans intersectionality. While many of the conversations are thought-provoking and raise lesser-known difficulties and complexities of gender, others fall somewhat flat. Still, this is a noteworthy addition to trans literature and a welcome reminder to center the voices and stories of LGBTQ people in discussions of gender and sexuality. (Oct.)