 In Your Face
I've read many books on feminism and gender, most of the Ms magazine ilk, and all of one mind, spouting the message that William can have a doll, and Sally can be a doctor when she grows up. Mainstream feminism is carrying this message into the 21st century almost unchanged from the late 1960's. This type of book always leaves me feeling a little unsatisfied.Kate Bornstein has written and book that attacks gender roles at the root, and not the flower. She is a male to female transsexual, in that she was identified as a boy at birth, and raised accordingly (there's a picture from her Bar Mitzvah), and was later surgically altered to look like a woman when she stands naked. She has a woman's body, and a female name, and prefers the pronoun "she," but Bornstein does not claim a gender in the way gender exists as a social construct. Few things are as personal as gender, and no one has a right to dictate another person's gender, or even that a person claim a gender. She talks about men, and women, and everyone in between. The "everyone in between," however, are not sexless celibates nursing their melancholia in solitude; they are sexual beings like anyone else. Bornstein, by dispensing with gender, opens up sexual possibilities that were previously unthought of. There's lots of sex in this book. This book is not an apologetic for transsexualisn, or gender dysphoria. If anything, it is in your face regarding not only personal choices, but anyone who would dare to judge someone else's choices. This is not a plea for understanding, as books on transsexualism usually are, not a heart-breaking tale of emotional pain, rejection and confusion. Bornstein tells the truth of her story, and gives you the options of recognizing the truth for what it is, or continue living in a Fool's Paradise. And in captivating narrative voice. Her style reflects her attitude, and you have no trouble hearing her in your head. This, to me, is the mark of a good author.
Provocative, informative, funny
Seeing gender as simply men and women keeps us locked into our ignorance of the fluidity of our roles, identities, preferences, and sense of self. During our lives, we see ourselves differently at different times. What makes us who we are is complicated, interesting, and often surprising. Author Kate Bornstein reminds us that the simple dichotomy that most people want in gender simply doesn't exist. Asking ourselves the hard questions helps us see ourselves and others as people-beyond gender and its expectations. This is a refreshing book in a society that wants to place everyone into neat little boxes. ~~Joan Mazza, author of DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE; DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF; WHO'S CRAZY ANYWAY? and 3 books in The Guided Journal Series with Writer's Digest Books/Walking Stick Press.
Fantastic
Just after I started my own transition I read this book, and it was possibly the most influential read of my transition. It was truly strengthening and exhilerating, and I found my voice through reading this book. A fantastic read for anyone--not just transgender folks--but especially for those proceeding into transition.
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