Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask)

If I were coming out now as trans I'd buy at least a dozen copies to give to close family and friends (and to have if anyone at work wanted to borrow it) in order to give them a base for understanding who I am. If you know someone who is trans, or are even just wondering what is up with all of the news, proposed laws, and concerns in the general and LGBTQ community then this resource is essential. Not only is it written in an engaging and entertaining style, but it is deeply indexed and referenced (there are almost 1400 citations to back up virtually everything she says). While there is intelligence and passion in the writing, it is remarkably informational, even for someone who is already a part of the trans community. When I started reading it I found that I was looking for scraps to paper to mark pages I wanted to go back to. By the time I'd gotten past the basics at the front of the book I'd dedicated post-it page markers to it. My copy is riddled with them,. Each chapter takes on a major aspect of understanding the trans experience, from medicine to law to politics to religion to the military, as well as just basic informational material for people who are coming into the conversation with no more than an understanding of trans through media representation. Media representation of trans people is a nightmare. There's a chapter describing that as well. Ms. Tannehill has the precision of a military analyst, which she happens to be. She comes into this as someone who has done tours in active war zones as a Blackhawk pilot. She doesn't really talk about that because this book isn't at all an indulgent self-exploration (which would probably also be interesting). Instead this book is an extremely detailed briefing. She lets you know everything you need to know to fully understand an truly complex topic. She also has the fluid, clever, easy-to-read style of a seasoned writer who you'd expect to have seen in major publications like the New York Times (because she is a seasoned writer who has published there among her many other writing credits). And now for a sentence that has never been written anywhere, by anyone, ever: "The chapter on Law was so riveting I couldn't put the book down." It was remarkable. It was the clearest, most succinct, most informative discussion of trans legal issues I have ever read, by far. It started with a detailed explanation of the workings of the U.S. court system and moved into levels of scrutiny, about which I was not nearly adequately well-informed, then to precedent that applies to the various circuits through the country down to specific case law. It also got into detailed descriptions of the issues before the court and the challenges trans people might face from SCOTUS, which could deeply change the legal landscape for trans people. The topic itself is a dry yet important one, but her explanation was both thoroughly engaging and remarkably insightful. It's worth buying the book for that chapter alone. Conceptually, the idea of someone being a gender they weren't assigned at birth is so far removed from the lived experience of most people that it's tough to fully understand that as a reality. This book creates a vital link to doing that. I absolutely believe that it will become the definitive source for helping people understand both the perspective of the transgender community and the challenges they face. It's also an important source for people who find themselves in the grey area around considering transition and not really knowing quite as much about this as they might need to. There aren't a lot of truly objective, detailed informational sources. This is easily the best I've ever seen. The book is exceptional. Anyone who knows or works with people in the trans community will learn something and find useful information throughout. If you've read this far into a review about it then clearly you have enough of an interest that you'd really benefit from reading it. Buy it. Seriously.

"Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask)" fully lives up to its name. This is my new go-to book when I need to give someone a reference to learn about trans people. Ms Tannehill has written the most readable and informative book on trans people. She writes in a clear, direct, friendly style with vivid analogies and vignettes that is both a pleasure to read and helps you remember the important points. Ms Tannehill is former Naval Aviator, intelligence analyst, and current defence analyst. This shows in her meticulously research and her careful analysis of the wealth of research. In this contentious area, proponents on all sides of the issue have a tendency to misstate research or ignore inconvenient research. Ms Tannehill discusses precisely what the research shows (and doesn't show). If you want further information (or to check her analysis), she has a wealth of cites. This book is different from most books on this issue as it discusses the good, the not-so-good, and the bad outcomes of being trans. Too many books, on all sides of the issue, are written as one-sided propaganda pieces. Trans people are not the "Spawn of the Devil" but their lives are not all sweetness and light once they transition either. The truth, as in all things, is somewhere in the middle. Highest recommendation.

I wanted to learn and understand more about Transgender people. Although I had some basic knowledge, upon opening this book, I realized I knew less than I thought I knew. The first chapter, Trans 101 is a basic glossary/dictionary of the meaning of the terms that are used. This book alone is worth it for just that. The first chapter is needed as a read and re-read every so often to grasp all the concepts. I would highly recommend this book.

Disclaimer: I bought this book in hopes of reading it, highlighting and annotating the sections I felt that got into the specific topics that I am not literate enough to explain myself, and pass it on to my well-intentioned, but ignorant, family members. While this book was educational, informative, and backed by research, science, and law, I don't think it's something palatable for someone who is in the trans 101, "what does trans and cis even mean," phase of their life. This gets into the weeds, which I personally appreciated, but I don't think that any cis family members I hand it to will actually read through it, not even with my sticky notes, highlights, and tabbing 🥹 This book was published in 2018, and some of the ideas and topics are already a bit outdated with information, political decisions, pop culture references, statistics, and societal issues. I wish I would have read this in 2018 rather than in 2023 to get the full impact it was aiming for. Another thing for me personally, is that this focused mainly on trans binary issues. What harm trans men and trans women are facing. It is extremely important information, and this book has so much detail, on binary trans people. I would have loved to see more touched on nonbinary people and the issues they face as well. There's a bit sprinkled in here and there in chapters, but this felt heavily detailed in the binary experience. This also is coming from a very white lens, and I would have loved to see more exploration on intersectionality. There was a guest writer who wrote on issues trans men face; it would have been an excellent opportunity to have a few extra chapters including other guest writers of different trans identities and marginalized backgrounds. This definitely hit my heartstrings... it was a lot to read through and a lot of reminders of the hateful rhetoric that political and religious parties' use. Hug your trans friends, folks.

When our then-17yo child came out as transgender two years ago, we had only our collective misinformation to guide us. We didn't know where to look for information -- and frankly, we didn't know that what we "knew" was wrong, so we didn't even know what questions to ask or whom to ask them to. Over the ensuing months, we were able to find professionals who taught us about the science behind being transgender, but we'd have avoided a lot of anguish if we'd had this book to read and reference right away. Those were long months of confusion and pain. Facts and knowledge were the solution for us. This book is well-researched and well-written, with pages of end notes corroborating the information it presents. It's also well-organized, so you can return to it as a reference. And despite all we've learned over the past two years, this book taught me so much more. I've already bought two more copies of this book for friends and family, and hope to find many more people to buy copies for. Page 305 of this book says. "The fiercest transgender allies in America are the parents of transgender children." Guilty. Our transgender child is flourishing post-transition, and we will continue to advocate for him and for the rest of the transgender community as best we can! This book will prove invaluable in our efforts.

Disclaimer: I know the author professionally; we are both professional public speakers who work in the same field, and we have spoken at some of the same conferences and so on. I paid full retail price for my (Kindle) edition, and I am not receiving any compensation, in any form, for this review. I speak about LGBTQ and other issues for a living, and I am a trans woman myself. I LOVE this book and have very few criticisms about it at all. I spoke for a class of med school students the other day and this was the book I recommended, and it will be the book I recommend from now on. It's exactly what the title says, well written, well cited, thorough, but easy to get into if you're totally new to the subject. I really can't recommend this enough. If you want an excellent resource for introducing yourself or someone else to the subject of trans identities, this is the book you want.

Author Brynn Tannehill has done all the homework so you don't have to. Armed with this book, not only can someone make correct decisions for the welfare of a trans child, one is well-prepared to take on the forces that wish us dead. There's no doubt the Tony Perkins and the Family Research Councils of the world will view this book as a major setback for them because an informed populace saps their power. Use this book to guide yourself through political, medical, educational and religious minefields they've laid in our way. You can help trans people by asking that your local library obtain this book. Likewise, those in education should insist that their schools at all levels, including elementary schools, carry this book -- not just for school libraries, but as staff and parental resources. It is important to know that libraries and schools have the resources to get this book. Indeed, not only do librarians need to cover various topics, they need to stay on top of emerging trends -- of which trans issues is one of them. And finally, the ones most in need of this information are often the last to know -- parents of trans kids. Parents often don't seek help right away, if at all, when their child exhibits non-conforming behavior. If given access this information, they can spare themselves, and their child, especially, needless anxiety.

This is NOT a ‘how-to’ book, a salacious tell-all, a transition diary or a simple primer for those who want to scrape the surface of transgenderism. It IS, however, an extremely-well-researched, citation-laden selection of essays (in chapter form) distilling the political, legal and cultural issues with which transgender people in the U.S. deal every day. For those truly interested in the multiple minefields trans people must navigate simply to exist, this is THE definitive tome on the subject. Ms. Tannehill, a trans woman, retired naval aviator and military scholar, writes with authority, intelligence and clarity. Her prose is academic in style, chosen to communicate great quantities of factual information in the most-efficient possible fashion. That is not to suggest that the book is a difficult read; Ms. Tannehills prose style is at least the equal of her laser-like attention to detail. More specifically, I frequently found myself re-reading passages and pages to extract every nuance of insight this brilliant author has to share. Highly recommended!

Anders als das sonderbare Design des Titelblatts vermuten ließe, handelt es sich hier um einen herausragenden Beitrag zum Thema. Nach zwei einleitenden Kapiteln werden alle wichtigen, im gegenwärtigen Amerika heftig umstrittenen Themen (darunter Medizin, Religion, Militärdienst u.v.a.m.) behandelt. Die Verfasserin argumentiert sehr sachlich und dennoch verständlich aus der Perspektive einer Transfrau. Alle Behauptungen sind (in den Endnoten) mit Verweisen auf die aktuelle Fachliteratur untermauert. Alle, die sich mit dem Thema ernsthaft auseinandersetzen wollen, können ohne Sorge mit diesem Buch anfangen.

I bought this book as a resource for extended family who didn’t have a great understanding of what Trans meant when our daughter transitioned. It’s factual, and research based, and I think a very honest representation of being Trans in North America. It might not be an easy read for some- it’s very honest in the discrimination and oppression Trans people are faced with, but if you read it with an open mind, and willingness to learn, it’s an incredibly valuable resource. After dog-earring my own copy, I will be purchasing several more to share with our community.

El libro cubre todo lo esencial que debemos saber para comprender a las personas trans, lo único es que está dirigido más hacia la población de USA, aún así tiene muchos temas en común.

If you are a transgender person, a parent of one, a friend, a relative. An academic, a journalist who is studying or commenting on transgender people and issues. Or just someone who is curious. This is the book for you, by one of the world's leading transgender activists and writers. Written in a clear, lucid manner it answers all the questions authoritatively. Who are transgender people, what does the science say, what are all the political and legal issues that impact them. Where are all those anti-transgender people coming from, what are they claiming ..and why. What are all the myths and misconceptions ..and why they are wrong. Of special note to the activist/journalist/academic it has an encyclopedic list of references (all 1,388 of them). There are 12 Chapters, each covering a different aspect of transgender people, their lives and the politics and debates that impact them. Ch 1: Trans 101 Ch 2: Trans 201 Ch 3: Dating and Sex Ch 4: Medicine/Mental Health Ch 5: (Bad) Science Ch 6: Law (US) Ch 7: Politics Ch 8: Religion Ch 9: Military Ch 10: Media and Popular Culture Ch 11: Gender/Feminism Ch 12: Where We Go from Here As an activist myself, the references are to die for. Comprehensive, encyclopedic in fact, the culmination of years and years of hard work by Brynn. Just having those at my fingertips is worth the price of the book alone. Buy and pass onto friends and family, trans support groups, LGBI allies, media, politicians ..in fact anyone in and around the transgender community.

Finished a chapter of "Everything you ever wanted to know about trans*" , this afternoon. This book deserves to be very well received by the Trans and LGBTIQ community and advocates. To adopt Brynn's listing style: 1. Well researched with proper and full referencing 2. A clear coherent style 3. Covers a very full range of topics 4 A wonderful catch up and exposition of essential knowledge, history, arguments and research for new advocates and those like me who slack and don't keep proper references for important information. 5. A very practical guide for addressing and rebuttal of common homophobic and transphobic arguments. It's not a theoretical approach but rather a practical primer with lots of usable information. A very well done one. It also has a structure that will facilitate updating and future revised editions should the author be so inclined.