Best Transgender People Biographies

In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept and embrace Wyatt’s transition to Nicole, and to undergo an emotionally wrenching transformation of their own that would change all their lives forever. It’s the story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and acceptance, not ostracism and disapproval; of a Republican, Air Force veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to become a vocal advocate for trans rights; of a loving brother who bravely stuck up for his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its prejudices, a school compelled to rewrite its rules, and a courageous community of transgender activists determined to make their voices heard. Granted wide-ranging access to personal diaries, home videos, clinical journals, legal documents, medical records, and the Maineses themselves, Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this immersive account of an American family confronting an issue that is at the center of today’s cultural debate. Becoming Nicole will resonate with anyone who’s ever raised a child, felt at odds with society’s conventions and norms, or had to embrace life when it plays out unexpectedly. In telling Nicole’s story and those of her brother and parents luminously, and with great compassion and intelligence, that is exactly what Amy Ellis Nutt has done.” — The Washington Post. “A profoundly moving true story about one remarkable family’s evolution.” — People. delving deep into the case of a single family with a transgender child and discovering in its particulars certain universal truths about the ways children arrive in one’s life already themselves.” — The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice). If you aren’t moved by Becoming Nicole, I’d suggest there’s a lump of dark matter where your heart should be.” —Jennifer Senior, The New York Times. “A transgender girl’s coming-of-age saga, an exploration of the budding science of gender identity, a civil rights time capsule, a tear-jerking legal drama and, perhaps most of all, an education about what can happen when a child doesn’t turn out as his or her parents expected—and they’re forced to either shut their eyes and hearts or see everything differently.” — Time “Extraordinary . It’s the story of a family struggling with—and embracing—a transgender child. a timely, significant examination.” — Kirkus Reviews “This poignant account of a transgender girl’s transition offers a heartfelt snapshot of a family whose only objective is to protect their daughter. succeeds in placing Nicole’s individual story within the more general narrative of transgender rights in the United States and humanizes the issues currently at play.” — Publishers Weekly “[Shows how one] family took precious steps in order to understand, support, and celebrate differences that make us all unique. If you want to get a look into a family that has made great strides to change the way some people think about the American nuclear family, and accept the beauty of the world around us, definitely buy this book.” — Philadelphia.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And while Nicole’s father Wayne and I began on opposing ends of the political spectrum, I identified with him in so many ways throughout this book, and his journey felt very familiar to me. I am immensely thankful to books like this and the plethora of organizations and media attention this issue has garnered over the past 5-10 years, as they are truly invaluable to families like ours trying to better understand our children and learn how to stand up for them at school and in society. Second, I am continually amazed by children and their unquestioning acceptance of people who differ than them, but at the same time saddened and frustrated by some groups’ stubborn insistence on labeling transgender individuals as sexual deviants."
"She is the hero of this story."
"This book is not only the story of Nicole and her family and how they managed to navigate a very complex situation that affected all their lives but it is also full of information and resources that can help families that find themselves in their same shoes."
"Nicole and her family are warriors and have fought to show and to educate other people how to support and love one another, through adversity, hate, bigotry and other challenges."
"This book clearly answers the question, to my satisfaction anyway, as to how a young child could possibly know that he or she is living in a body of the wrong sex."

In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept and embrace Wyatt’s transition to Nicole, and to undergo an emotionally wrenching transformation of their own that would change all their lives forever. It’s the story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and acceptance, not ostracism and disapproval; of a Republican, Air Force veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to become a vocal advocate for trans rights; of a loving brother who bravely stuck up for his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its prejudices, a school compelled to rewrite its rules, and a courageous community of transgender activists determined to make their voices heard. Granted wide-ranging access to personal diaries, home videos, clinical journals, legal documents, medical records, and the Maineses themselves, Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this immersive account of an American family confronting an issue that is at the center of today’s cultural debate. Becoming Nicole will resonate with anyone who’s ever raised a child, felt at odds with society’s conventions and norms, or had to embrace life when it plays out unexpectedly. In telling Nicole’s story and those of her brother and parents luminously, and with great compassion and intelligence, that is exactly what Amy Ellis Nutt has done.” — The Washington Post. An Amazon Best Book of October 2015: “Why IS it such a big deal to everyone what somebody has in their pants?” Excellent question, posed by an unusually astute transgender girl, the subject of Amy Ellis Nutt’s emotional and illuminating Becoming Nicole . Nicole, her twin brother Jonas, mom Kelly, and dad Wayne, are your typical middle class American family. They’re also coming to terms with the fact that one of their own has Gender Dysphoria, a medical condition whereby a person does not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. This is a particularly hard pill for Republican, Air Force veteran, Wayne, to swallow, and his journey from denial to accepting and championing his daughter, is one of the more powerful and moving side narratives in a book chock full of them. delving deep into the case of a single family with a transgender child and discovering in its particulars certain universal truths about the ways children arrive in one’s life already themselves.” — The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice). In telling Nicole’s story and those of her brother and parents luminously, and with great compassion and intelligence, that is exactly what Amy Ellis Nutt has done here.” —Sue Halpern, The Washington Post. “A downright necessary book—and a remarkable act of generosity by the Maines family—that will surely start hundreds of conversations in living rooms across the country about what ‘transgender’ means. But it’s also a deeply universal book, one that hits the heart of what it means for all of us, no matter how we struggle (or not) to identify, to be ourselves.” — BuzzFeed “Gorgeous . a timely, significant examination.” — Kirkus Reviews “This poignant account of a transgender girl’s transition offers a heartfelt snapshot of a family whose only objective is to protect their daughter. succeeds in placing Nicole’s individual story within the more general narrative of transgender rights in the United States and humanizes the issues currently at play.” — Publishers Weekly “[Shows how one] family took precious steps in order to understand, support, and celebrate differences that make us all unique.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And while Nicole’s father Wayne and I began on opposing ends of the political spectrum, I identified with him in so many ways throughout this book, and his journey felt very familiar to me. I am immensely thankful to books like this and the plethora of organizations and media attention this issue has garnered over the past 5-10 years, as they are truly invaluable to families like ours trying to better understand our children and learn how to stand up for them at school and in society. Second, I am continually amazed by children and their unquestioning acceptance of people who differ than them, but at the same time saddened and frustrated by some groups’ stubborn insistence on labeling transgender individuals as sexual deviants."
"She is the hero of this story."
"This book is not only the story of Nicole and her family and how they managed to navigate a very complex situation that affected all their lives but it is also full of information and resources that can help families that find themselves in their same shoes."
"Nicole and her family are warriors and have fought to show and to educate other people how to support and love one another, through adversity, hate, bigotry and other challenges."
"This book clearly answers the question, to my satisfaction anyway, as to how a young child could possibly know that he or she is living in a body of the wrong sex."

New York Times Bestseller • Winner of the 2015 WOMEN'S WAY Book Prize • Goodreads Best of 2014 Semi-Finalist • Books for a Better Life Award Finalist • Lambda Literary Award Finalist • Time Magazine “30 Most Influential People on the Internet” • American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book. In her profound and courageous New York Times bestseller, Janet Mock establishes herself as a resounding and inspirational voice for the transgender community—and anyone fighting to define themselves on their own terms. Her book about her life as a transwoman, Redefining Realness, isn’t just a service to the trans community but to every woman – hell, person – who has struggled with identity.” (Lena Dunham, actress and author of Not That Kind of Girl). Like Richard Wright and Maya Angelou, Janet Mock brings us into a world we may not know and with breathtaking insight, courage, and masterful craft makes her story universal.” (Barbara Smith, author of the Truth That Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender, and Freedom, co-founder of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press). Janet Mock's story simultaneously embodies, complicates, and subverts the concept of American exceptionalism and self-creation.” (Laverne Cox, actress, advocate, and star of Orange Is the New Black). Redefining Realness overflows with the everyday magic of survival and resiliency in low income communities of color, of loving kindness bursting through the cracks of a hard reality, and of the life-sustaining bonds of family, friendships, and a powerful trans sisterhood.” (Susan Stryker, author of Transgender History and Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies and Director of the Institute for LGBT, University of Arizona). "Janet Mock's honest and sometimes searing journey is a rare and important look into la vida liminal, one that she manages to negotiate remarkably well, with grace, humor, and fierce grit. Mock doesn't only redefine what realness means to her, but challenges us to rethink our own perceptions of gender and sexuality, feminism and sisterhood, making this book a transcendent piece of American literature."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Mock does an excellent job of incorporating information about the trans community within her personal story, creating a good blend of global and personal, leaving the reader more aware of not only Mock's personal story but also the situation for many trans individuals throughout the world."
"Janet Mock weaves her personal history and the political landscape of trans livelihood in a way that is relatable and deeply intellectual in her powerful memoir."
"Good book if you are looking for an easy read about a transgender narrative."
"the author has a natural way of explaining some of the transitions and personal struggles transgenders go through."
"Janet Mock tells all of her story."
"While it defines that person and not everyone else, it can shed light on the community in fundamentally new and authentic way, and thus serve a vital function, and most of all, comes wrapped up in a a personal, deeply affecting package that those who aren't part of that minority/privileged folks can take and learn from more so than other narratives."
"This could be read as the coming out story of a trans woman of color."
"I am a doctoral candidate in Sociology."
Best Transgender Studies

He writes about families coping with deafness, dwarfism, Down syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, multiple severe disabilities, with children who are prodigies, who are conceived in rape, who become criminals, who are transgender. Many families grow closer through caring for a challenging child; most discover supportive communities of others similarly affected; some are inspired to become advocates and activists, celebrating the very conditions they once feared. Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2012: Anyone who’s ever said (or heard or thought) the adage “chip off the old block” might burrow into Andrew Solomon’s tome about the ways in which children are different from their parents--and what such differences do to our conventional ideas about family. Ruminative, personal, and reportorial all at once, Solomon--who won a National Book Award for his treatise on depression, The Noonday Demon --begins by describing his own experience as the gay son of heterosexual parents, then goes on to investigate the worlds of deaf children of hearing parents, dwarves born into “normal” families, and so on. -- Sara Nelson *Starred Review* Solomon, who won the National Book Award for The Noonday Demon (2001), tackles daunting questions involving nature versus nurture, illness versus identity, and how they all affect parenting in his exhaustive but not exhausting exploration of what happens when children bear little resemblance to their parents.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Thank you, Mr. Solomon for pointing out the absurdities in our justice system when it comes to dealing with juvenile crime. I wanted to learn about how families deal with a diagnosis of autism; instead I learned about how families deal with all kinds of unexpected outcomes, how resilient parents can be when faced with hardships, and how connected are the identities of parents and their children. One more thing: in 700 pages (okay, I admit, I didn't read the Acknowledgments) I never found an example of "martyrdom" that one reviewer complained about. But Far From the Tree isn't a chronicle of long-suffering devastated parents; there are plenty of positive, hopeful, make-the-best-of-it moments as well."
"I hate very much the possibility of hurting someone's feelings who worked so hard. to enlighten humanity. What I think Solomon misses here is that it is the UNITED STATES approved medications that are intractable and unusable. Getting the really good antipsychotic/stabilizer/antidepressant, Amisulpride, from France or London can be a drag and most shrinks in Massachusetts won't even prescribe it. Also brain research is still going on and there may be a good cure for schizophrenia in ten years. based on gene therapy. The guy who writes so lovingly of his(Noonday Demon) depression, for which there already exists. a diagnosis through MRI, and his son's Autism- takes a very cold and under-researched eye to schizophrenia."
"Great read, tying in a wide variety of different and often difficult situations that make it hard for children to fully bond with their parents, their "vertical community"."
"Solomon focuses on a range of "differences" that children can have from their parents, e.g. deaf children born to hearing parents, "dwarf" children born to normal-sized parents, schizophrenic children, etc., and explores in extensive detail the experiences, dilemmas and challenges of both the parents and the children."
"I was assigned this book for my grad class that I'm in and I just read a chapter on disabilities that really shook me."
"Good read so far--I guess I missed the fine print about the hardback so was surprised when I received it in the mail."
Best LGBT Studies

In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman ( Sweet Valley High ) of color ( The Help ) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years ( Girls, Django in Chains ) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture. An Amazon Best Book of the Month, August 2014: "These essays are political and they are personal," Roxanne Gay announces in the introduction of Bad Feminist . One of the best pieces comes early in the book when Gay competes in a Scrabble tournament and her success as a beginner angers her male opponents. It's smart and laugh-out-loud funny essay, and in a humbling turn, Gay herself finds a similar unwarranted frustration toward competitors when she begins losing. Bad Feminist represents Gay's body of personal essays and critical work over the past several years, and if the book has a slight misstep, it's that it sometimes feels like these are articles that have been published elsewhere. Whether the topic is Gay's nemesis when playing in a Scrabble championship or deconstructing rape jokes, Turpin delivers with an assertiveness that will catch listeners' attention.''. -- AudioFile ''Smart readers cannot afford to miss these essays, which range from socially significant art (Girls, Django in Chains) and feminist issues (abortion) to politics (Chris Brown) and why Gay likes pink.''.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I read this, other movies came to mind, such as The Green Mile, in which the person of color, John Coffey, significantly improves the lives of the white people in his life but doesn’t save himself from being put to death by electrocution. Gay wishes for a day when people of color play characters other than a slave or a “magical negro” or a combination of the two; she wishes for a day when the script has a person of color performing significant acts for their own destiny and not for someone else. In a world where people think increasingly in absolutist claims, such as We versus Them, and use increasingly simplified and stunted language that can hardly do justice to the many ways life is lived, Gay’s writing forces the reader to consider the infinite shades of gray that exist in the world beyond the black and white, and demands through her logic that people be allowed to thrive in a variety of lifestyles, modes, and cultures and be respected and loved—despite religion, skin color, gender, chosen life paths, and level of so-called femininity."
"I found it insightful, intellectual, laugh out loud funny sometimes and well thought out."
"It is thought-provoking and helps one to identify their own biases and to evaluate critically many book and movies."
"Is there anything like a "good" feminist?"
"Author opines on gender and race implications of phenomena from Girls to Hunger Games to trigger warnings."
"It was an ok read."
"She carries the weight of the world and how to solve its problems with her, but readily admits she has her own issues to deal with."
"An engaging take on a variety of topics, including gender roles, reality TV, problematic pop culture faves, institutional racism, and rape culture."
Best Gay Biographies

In The Kid , Savage tells a no-holds-barred, high-energy story of an ordinary American couple who wants to have a baby. Savage is best when detailing the emotional ups and downs that came with revealing that he was even considering gay parenting, including his anxiety about the possible disapproval of both gay and straight friends, about the ways his sex life would change and about buying the right "baby things."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Review of: The Kid, (What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to go get Pregnant) an adoption story by Dan Savage. Writer/ Journalist, Dan Savage appears to be an adoptive parent who gets it."
"There are some passages that talk about the unique aspects of adopting as a gay couple (they never struggled with fertility; they thought they would never have the ability to get married; the way they were treated by some family members) and about some political and moral issues around discrimination against gay people, which I could see turning off someone conservative."
"I did think that the first 5-6 chapters got a little bogged down in exposition (my internal editor was mentally removing the chapter "put this book down" as it was entirely irrelevant and didn't move the story forward in any way); once they got into the "pool" and we met Melissa I found it a much more engaging read."
"I don't mind profanity at all, but I think there's a place for it, and I find it of bad taste that he relies on it too much for this type of book."
"While this book isn't a recent release, I feel like it is an honest portrayal of their journey to adoption."
"Going through the adoption process myself, I wanted to revisit the story."
"Book was in great condition and the story kept me so intrigued that I didn't feel like a was even reading it for a college class of mine."
"Very touching and inspiring book from one of my favorite people."
Best Lesbian Biographies

With a mother's love, clear minded common sense, and hard won wisdom, Betty DeGeneres offers up her own very personal memoir to help parents understand their gay children, and to help sons and daughters who have been rejected by their families feel less alone. Now the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project, Betty DeGeneres travels the country explaining how she came to terms with her daughter's sexuality, and how love and acceptance can transform a family.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Yes, when I was in Catholic elementary school, I was afraid of homosexuals that's what I was thought."
"I will soon be 80 years of age, so I can definitely relate to the changes that have transpired regarding homo sexuality."
"It's not a page turner or my normal kind of book, but something drew me to read this book and I'm glad that I did."
"Both strong women, they bring their hearts out in public for explaining some things we wonder about."
"This is a. wonderful example of unconditional love that God wants all of us to have."
"Happy to have read this book and gained a little more insight into the woman who mothered a legend, Ellen Degeneres."
"I enjoyed reading this book."
"The first half of the book, about her life and Ellen's life was good."