Transgender Voices: Beyond Women and Men

This book is not an easy read, but a serious study based on medical records, surveys, and interviews and has surprising information on gender issues I'd never considered before. Apparently, statistically, only one baby out of 100 is born completely "normal" according to cultural gender expectations and XX and XY norms, with many varying degrees of both biological and mental gender blending possible. People have their internal sexual identify, the preferred gender which attracts them, their physical/internal genders, and their appearance to others, any of which may fail to line up in the expected manner. Drugs taken during pregnancy, stress, the number of males born to one woman in a row, and many other factors also contribute to degrees of hormone expression and many people spend their lives forcing themselves into specific gender roles to avoid persecution. After reading this book I'm more inclined to think of us as "human" than any culturally defined gender.Here in Thailand, there is more acceptance of male gender/female identity than in the U.S., so boy/girls are common. I've not seen it the other way as much, but since women here commonly run their own businesses and drive motorcycles, maybe a female/male gender identity doesn't need as much validation.I'm a feminine looking woman, very tiny, etc., yet I've always hated shopping, gossip, small talk, decorating, house work, fixing hair, make up, parties, talking on the phone, chick flicks, etc and instead love snakes, insects, breaking horses, crawling around in the underbrush taking photos of wildlife, racing my horses, building gadgets in my shop, etc., but in the U.S. at this time in history, that is acceptable.

It has been argued that the transexual is the last minorityand it's a statement that's hard to refute. As Lori B. Girshick, in her brilliant book "Transgender Voices: Beyong Women & Men",points out to be fully human means accepting both your female and male natures.Ms. Girshick asks many questions in this book such as what is the relationship between gender identity and sexual orientation? Many of the answers were an identification of androgeneny. But as Girshicks point out, this terms has multiple means.Gircheck is not the first to address this subject of gender idenity and sex reassignment. Dr. Renee Richards, pediatric opthalmologist and tennis coach to Martina Navratilova wrote about beginning life as Richard Raskind in "Second Serve". Famed trael writer, now retired, Jan Morris wrote about her transformation from James to Jan in "Conundrum".Still, the subject of the transgener is one that is urually not addressed because it remains uncomfortable for many. Yet anyone who has been rejected by family or friends for any reaon will relate to the pain that endures.Ms. Girshick's profound book deserves wide distribution and study especially by those who usually avoid this senstitive subject. The book has a few faults but too minor to mention. I hope the book will be read and more reviews posted.

I am a little more than half way through this book and just can't wait to sing its praises. I have loved how it's written and set up. It's be a great resource for me as I try to educate myself on common misconceptions and basic etiquette not from an outside source, but from the people themselves. It's been a great read and I hope more people read and review it.

This book would be great for a counselor or someone working on their doctoral thesis but it's a pretty tuff and dry read for those of use just trying to learn more about the subject.Would I reccommend this book to others???? Well, I would but only after you have read some of the other very good choices available to you first.

This book is an excellent clarification of cross-dressing versus trans-gender. It investigates personal accounts of TG transition M2F and F2M including some personal accounts and problems encountered. I found it most useful to explain why SSS and similar X-dressing support groups discourage transitioned persons from participating. Until reading this book I had no idea there were such limits. X-dressers and Trans people have different objectives which are mutually exclusive.

This book was a present for my wife, which would like to devote more her time to this field. She said, that it is an excellent book.

The book was superb. It show what we as a group has been thru the century. That all of the LGBT community has been thru together

Very well-written, thoughtful, comprehensive and informative book about the spectrum of gender identities that truly exists in this world. Open your mind & heart and read this book!