From the Inside Out: Radical Gender Transformation, FTM and Beyond

by Morty Diamond (Editor), Cooper Lee Bombardier (Contributor)

Born female yet little identified with that gender, these transgender, genderqueer, third gender, and gender variant writers offer personal insights into changing gender identity, dating, workplace issues, and more. This book shines light on those who identify as FTM (female to male) and also illuminates those whose gender is more fluid, proving that biology doesn’t control destiny.

Genres: Queer, Nonfiction, Transgender, Gender, LGBT, Anthologies, Queer Lit

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

"Morty Diamond is a Jewish transsexual writer/ artist/ filmmaker currently living and working in Los Angeles. Morty has edited two anthologies showcasing the trans experience from the perspective of transgender writers: From the Inside Out (Manic D Press) and the forthcoming Gendered Hearts (Alyson Press). Diamond also uses performance art to make gender and trans bodies visible in public spaces. Past pieces include "My Year In Pink," in which he wore head to toe pink everyday for a full year and "Ask A Tranny," where he allowed strangers to ask him questions about transsexuality while sitting at a booth set up in Time Square. He recently performed "Tranny Ramble Tamble" at PS1 in NYC. Perhaps his best known work is the film he produced and directed, Trans Entities. This eye-opening erotic documentary follows a real life trans couple as they explore the intersection between their gender and sexuality. Morty is currently working with trans artist Cooper Lee Bombardier on publishing the first literary and arts magazine focused on the transgender and transsexual community.

Reviews

[KADEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

very much of its time, but i find that endearing. i'm biased in my rating since nearly every essay felt like an excerpt from my brain....tboy swag for life

[DDog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book a couple of years ago, as I was just beginning to explore my gender. It was much better on the second read, and I had a tangible sense of how far I've come since then. I highly recommend it to anyone on the FTM spectrum who is looking for personal accounts from people like us; the identities explored here vary pretty widely so I hope there's something here for everyone, even if you don't identify identically. I also recommend it if you are not FTM but looking to understand more about us, not necessarily in an "education" sense but to explore some of the viewpoints that arise in our community, without having to ask some of the invasive questions that we get asked all the time.

[kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wiiiiiiidely varying in quality but an interesting collection nonetheless. I was hoping for fewer romantic fiction pieces / poetry type things and more autobiographical essays.

[Lobeck · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first essay was good, and the rest all sounded the same. So much for finding worthwhile literature from the transmasculine side of things...

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these essays are really great and some of them are really not, much like most anthologies. It's worth it for the good ones.

[Cosimo Giovine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the introduction to the anthology from the inside out: Radical Gender Transformation, FTM, and Beyond, Morty Diamond states “I was not looking for a clinical examination of gender deviation, but rather firsthand stories representing an assortment of voices and viewpoints.” The voices and viewpoints confide that “we all identify and express our gender differently, our struggle for this freedom is the same” (pg 8).

Like Diamond, I too found it disappointing that “many books discussed transgendered people in a rigid structure of female-to-male or male-to-female. This system of classification overlooked other ways in which people choose to express gender” (pg 7). By anthologizing so many necessary stories written by gender variant people, the stories achieve Diamond’s intention—to give “the reader insight into how we live, and who we are” (pg 8). The inclusion of stories written by gender variant people from an entire range of backgrounds including race, class, and sexual orientation (pg 9) provides the reader with a wide spectrum of experiences.

The story Diamond tells in the introduction about who he is and how he lives summarizes many of the stories in from the inside out: “I was taking testosterone, but never wanted to become a man. Rather, I wish to become a gender that was neither male nor female”. And to that end, Diamond concludes by saying: “We must continue to keep the dialogue open if we are to achieve a place in the world where gender is allowed to be expressed by an individual however they please. To all who have ever said, ‘this doesn’t work for me,’ and stepped out of the clutches of what society deems rights; your liberation is meaningful to us all” (pg 8).

[Jun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some exerpts seemed a little unrelated, maybe they were too short to show the whole story. Some had outdated language (slurs that are no longer used) due to it being published many years ago.
However the other stories were very impactful and worth reading at least once.
I felt like I could relate to the experiences and gained some perspective and hope from the varied accounts.

[Orion Calum · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Lots of use of the T slur, F slur, and others. I recognize that this book came from a place of empowerment and love, but i was extremely uncomfortable through most of it. If you can bear the slurs, go ahead, but unfortunately this book is being donated.

[theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

while some pieces are a bit preachy, most of them are beautiful. it felt like holding up a mirror to the light. a very diverse range of voices (and some of them probably contradict each other, i'm sure) that are insightful, illuminating, and heartbreakingly intimate.

[cooldude · Rating 4 out of 5]

the good chapters are GOOD. Wow. my heart.

I was very touched by the writings of David Husted, Mac McCord, and Eli Clare (the latter of whom took me back to my Zotero days... like one year ago). Cool to see Dean Spade in here too.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabulously subversive without losing humanity, a sticky problem into which much writing on gender falls. the mix of memoir, poetry, vignette, letters and essays is perfectly balanced; all together they show the complexity and richness of gender and sexuality. i think my fav was "dear breasts" which made me cry but i also loved "learning to be gay," which had me laughing outloud every few seconds. what more can anyone ask for from such an anthology on gender-- that i can both genuinely and deeply laugh and cry?

[Gavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the genderqueer and third gender narratives in this collection. Despite being a contributor, I found myself learning new things when I first read the other chapters in this book. Reviewers here who claim that the book is only about binary-identified people have clearly not bothered to read these narratives. In particular, I recall having found the piece about a non-binary person's decision to get chest surgery deeply moving and thought-provoking. I would encourage people to read this book for themselves. While I identify as binary, many of the contributors explicitly do not.

[Linus Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read a variety of views from the FTM/transguy/"monster" viewpoint. These were all individual essays and poems about the experiences and emotions of being transgendered and expounding all that was positive about it. Highly recommend for those exploring their own gender and that of others.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to me when I needed it to. It explores the lives of people who were assigned female gender at birth and how they define or don't define themselves by gender. I really enjoyed reading it. There are contributions by people of color and people of different economic classes, so that's a plus.

[Rory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of short narratives about guys' experiences with family, with their bodies, with the world, and with themselves. It definitely addressed many of my fears, concerns, hopes, and questions when I was seriously considering transition.

[Corbin Dodge · Rating 1 out of 5]

This collection of stories and poetry did not keep my attention for very long. Amateur at best, the stories were limited to the very cliche story 'I am FtM and I've always felt like a man.' There is little to remark about here.

[hadar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kinda wish there was more about genderqueer/genderfluid/multigender/nonbinary/etc people, but there were definitely a lot more at the end than at the beginning. It provides a lot of insight into the radical gender community, though.

[Amari · Rating 4 out of 5]

While many of the stories do blend into each other as they sound alike, there are several very strong pieces that stand out- from talking about acceptance, to being out, to discussing pronoun usage.

[Sassafras Patterdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

an inclusive book that explores FTM identities and others on a MOC spectrum - a good read for anyone beginning to explore their own identity(ies)

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of essays that show diversity in the outlook of some within the trans/queer/gender-fluid community.

[Mills College Library]

810.8092 F9317 2004

[Danita · Rating 3 out of 5]

series of essays - some interesting, some not so much

[Laura McKelvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://thedismantledlibrary.blogspot....