Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin

[katekintailbc]

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
by Susan Kuklin
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/12911697/

I picked up this book because of the subject matter and because it looked like an interesting and light read. It was definitely interesting, but it was anything but light. This book is a series of dialogues with young people who are transgender. They read like confessions or one-sided conversations, with some description and other quotes mixed in here and there. There are photos that helped me identify with the speaker (useful when you have a different person to get to know in each chapter).

Some of the stories are sweet and hopeful and uplifting, about discovery and acceptance. Others are about some very personal struggles to understand identity and place. Others describe attempts at self harm, bullying, estranged family, and inner turmoil. Each story is unique but beautiful and true. So many times I wished I could reach into the book and hug these people and thank them for their honesty.

There was a wide variety of stories of people in various stages of transitioning and understanding. I especially loved how comfortable in their own skin one genderqueer young adult seemed; I admire that so much. And I cried buckets during the conversation with one's mother who had had such a hard time accepting her gay son and then a hard time accepting her other son's transition from male-to-female. She had been so biased and mean... and now she's so accepting of her daughter it is absolutely beautiful and inspiring to read about. Some of her quotes about how she wishes she'd been more supportive were heartbreaking and moving. I also loved that so many of these individuals were creative in the arts—writing poems, performing in theater, playing musical instruments, creating fashion, etc. I LOVED seeing the different forms of expression and that they're able to enrich the world already, even though they're young still. It makes me so happy to know their creations are out there, inspiring others, just the way their personal stories inspire in this collection.

I could definitely relate to some of the moments of self-discovery or confession in this book. And every so often something said by one of the people would remind me of something one of my transgender friends has said or written to me.

As humans, I think we all struggle to understand our world and ourselves. But it's not often that we get such intimate, personal understandings of how others understand themselves. I think that kind of openness doesn't come natural to most of us, because we exist in our own minds and spaces. In order for us to really understand people who are different from us, we need this kind of dialogue, especially because it also reveals how similar these people are to us as well. We're all people, and we all deserve for our voices to be heard. I'm grateful each of these people spoke out and that the author did such a good job of helping tell their stories in an enjoyable way.

Comments

[discoverylover.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that looks interesting, any chance I could read it next? I'm happy to pay for postage or send you something in return (although my shelf isn't very full right now!)

[katekintailbc.livejournal.com]

Well, I did read it so I could include it in a bookbox I'm sending out in a week or so. But, as it's you, if you want it, I can definitely send it to you instead! It's big and heavy, so I'm not sure what shipping will be like; I wish the USPS hadn't done away with ground transport for mail. PM me on the BC site with your address?