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himpersonal 's review for:
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders
by Jennifer Finney Boylan
I wish there were more books like this that give people insight into what it’s like for trans people. I’ve been teaching LGBT classes for a few years now, and in my experience, most people only want to know about how sex works or how the sex reassignment operation turns a person into another gender or whether it means someone is a man or a woman afterward and if it makes them gay or lesbian for whom they love. Basically, people are obsessed with the genitalia and gender rather than interested in the person for their feelings, experiences, confusions, challenges, etc. Instead of reflecting on their own feelings and extent of homophobia, most people only want to know why someone is so different than the norm and how it’s possible that they feel compelled to get the op, because it’s so inconceivable to most people. They also don’t understand that the operation a) didn’t always happen, b) is not the end goal, and c) isn’t what makes someone trans. This firsthand account of someone who came out about the truth of who she was, the enormous bravery that it took, the support that was necessary, the impact to her family, the risks to her relationships and career are all chronicled poignantly by the author. I hope everyone gets to read it and that we hear from more writers like her.