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A review by gdulecki
Becoming a Visible Man by Jamison Green
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
“I needed to understand what it would mean — really mean — to change places: what responsibility would I have for maintaining or deconstructing traditional gender roles once I transitioned?”
I have had this book on my TBR for a few years now, I picked it up from the library as part of my journey to try and grapple with what masculinity means to me and for my as I navigate my transition. I am very grateful for the wisdom of trans elders, and for the groundwork that was laid that makes my life possible now.
I thought it was so interesting to read about how trans communities found each other and interacted with each other, and how much that has changed since this book came out. There were a few moments where my first thought after reading something really good was whether folks in the ftm subreddit or the ftm chicago Facebook groups had talked about this before and that I should see what discussions had already been had.
I did read the version published in 2003, as that is what was available at the library and the language was very dated, but that is to be expected. I did see someone else’s review saying that the rereleased version from a few years back did have updated language and I would have loved to see what changes were made. I am trying to hold both that the language used here was important and impactful at the time, while at the same time it felt very uncomfortable to read today.
More than anything, I really appreciated the in depth discussions about what masculinity has meant for trans men, and how we as a community have both found space in traditional masculinity, but also created space for a new masculinity. I loved the experiences Jamison shared about his men’s groups, both with cis and trans men, and the way that a tender and gentle masculinity was explored. As I continue to grapple with what it means to be a man, I am grateful for the experiences of the men who have been doing this work for decades, and can offer wisdom.
“Being a man is more than looking like one. It requires knowing what is expected of a man, and choosing how to go about meeting or not meeting those expectations at any given moment.”
I have had this book on my TBR for a few years now, I picked it up from the library as part of my journey to try and grapple with what masculinity means to me and for my as I navigate my transition. I am very grateful for the wisdom of trans elders, and for the groundwork that was laid that makes my life possible now.
I thought it was so interesting to read about how trans communities found each other and interacted with each other, and how much that has changed since this book came out. There were a few moments where my first thought after reading something really good was whether folks in the ftm subreddit or the ftm chicago Facebook groups had talked about this before and that I should see what discussions had already been had.
I did read the version published in 2003, as that is what was available at the library and the language was very dated, but that is to be expected. I did see someone else’s review saying that the rereleased version from a few years back did have updated language and I would have loved to see what changes were made. I am trying to hold both that the language used here was important and impactful at the time, while at the same time it felt very uncomfortable to read today.
More than anything, I really appreciated the in depth discussions about what masculinity has meant for trans men, and how we as a community have both found space in traditional masculinity, but also created space for a new masculinity. I loved the experiences Jamison shared about his men’s groups, both with cis and trans men, and the way that a tender and gentle masculinity was explored. As I continue to grapple with what it means to be a man, I am grateful for the experiences of the men who have been doing this work for decades, and can offer wisdom.
“Being a man is more than looking like one. It requires knowing what is expected of a man, and choosing how to go about meeting or not meeting those expectations at any given moment.”