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A review by jdscott50
Transitional: In One Way or Another, We All Transition by Munroe Bergdorf
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Munroe Bergdorf lost her modeling contract with L'oreal due to comments addressing racism during the Charlottesville protest. She takes us back to the beginning of her childhood in England with biracial parentage. A Jamaican father and English mother left her confused when she would not become the child they expected. She documents this loneliness as she transitions from a young gay man to a famous trans woman model.
There is a moving section where she discovers drag and the power it gives her to become her true self. Her journey is remarkable. Just as she emerges with a contract, she is embroiled in controversy for speaking out on racism and standing in solidarity with the people of Charlottesville. It would ruin her first major contract with Loreal. After time and sticking to her guns, she wins a new contract and becomes an ambassador for the gay community. An inspiring story that is sorely needed now.
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"Summer break had arrived and the last thing I wanted to do was spend it twiddling my thumbs in Essex, so I got a job on the door of a drag club instead. I found drag euphoric. Before I had the language to be able to identify as trans, I would refer to myself as a queen. Drag unlocked part of myself that I’d never experienced before. It was more than just make-up, a wig, heels and a tight dress. It was the feeling of waking up, of accessing the confidence to be fully present, fearless and bold. Going out in drag made me feel like the best version of myself; I felt liberated, as if I was able to wear my feelings for everyone to see, without shame, without filter.”
There is a moving section where she discovers drag and the power it gives her to become her true self. Her journey is remarkable. Just as she emerges with a contract, she is embroiled in controversy for speaking out on racism and standing in solidarity with the people of Charlottesville. It would ruin her first major contract with Loreal. After time and sticking to her guns, she wins a new contract and becomes an ambassador for the gay community. An inspiring story that is sorely needed now.
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"Summer break had arrived and the last thing I wanted to do was spend it twiddling my thumbs in Essex, so I got a job on the door of a drag club instead. I found drag euphoric. Before I had the language to be able to identify as trans, I would refer to myself as a queen. Drag unlocked part of myself that I’d never experienced before. It was more than just make-up, a wig, heels and a tight dress. It was the feeling of waking up, of accessing the confidence to be fully present, fearless and bold. Going out in drag made me feel like the best version of myself; I felt liberated, as if I was able to wear my feelings for everyone to see, without shame, without filter.”