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This was a deeply personal read for me, as I'm sure it will be for a lot of people who pick up this delight of a book.
Growing up, the trans narratives that I was exposed to in the 2000s usually fell into two categories: trauma through either pain or humiliation, and surprise at ‘passing' as cis (in which they were sexualised). Many depictions in the media involved cis people feeling ‘betrayed' when someone disclosed that they were trans and feeling like they were ‘lied to' because they weren't really the gender they presented as, and once a trans person was open about being trans, they were usually subjected to violence.
All the trans people I remember being depicted in the media when I was growing up (because this was my only exposure to trans people until I was about 15) were trans women. Transness was always viewed through a cis lens, and if a trans person did not look like they were cis, they were made fun of. The world has thankfully evolved a little since then, but it can still be difficult for a person to express their gender as they wish to, leading to more fears that they aren't trans enough because they're not doing enough to be trans. Being trans in a cisnormative society is hard, but this book gives hope that you can be trans no matter what other people think.
This book resonated with me so much because it reflected my experiences growing up and growing into my gender identity. Being under the trans umbrella but not feeling like I can claim being trans because I don't identify as a binary gender is something I have struggled with for years. My exposure to transness solely being transmen or transwomen who wanted to both socially and medically transition made me feel like I couldn't be trans. I knew I wasn't cis, but if I couldn't be trans either then what was I? It prevented me from feeling comfortable for years as I didn't know where I fit in. I felt as though I couldn't use the pronouns I wanted to because I wasn't trans enough to do so .It set me back years and I'm sure other people who pick up this book and have either questioned their identity in the past, or are currently doing so, will also be able to identify with.
This book is viewing identity from a trans gaze and providing acceptance for those who may not have had it in the past. Whilst the target audience is primarily people under the trans umbrella, cis allies may also enjoy this as an insight into the anxieties that some trans people have regarding their gender identity and expression. It covers a variety of topics and challenges why people think they may not be trans enough to call themselves trans and how this can be helped.
This book is magic.
Yes, you are trans enough.
Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Only you can know how you feel.
