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Trans Power: Own Your Gender
"All those layers of expectation that are thrust upon us; boy, masculine, femme, transgender, sexual, woman, real, are such a weight to carry round. I feel transgressive. I feel hybrid. I feel trans."
In this radical and emotionally raw book, Juno Roche pushes the boundaries of trans representation by redefining "trans" as an identity with its own power and strength, that goes beyond the gender binary.
Through intimate conversations with leading and influential figures in the trans community, such as Kate Bornstein, Travis Alabanza, Josephine Jones, Glamrou and E-J Scott, this book highlights the diversity of trans identities and experiences with regard to love, bodies, sex, race and class, and urges trans people - and the world at large - to embrace a "trans" identity as something that offers empowerment and autonomy.
Powerfully written, and with humour and advice throughout, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of gender and how we identify ourselves.
In this radical and emotionally raw book, Juno Roche pushes the boundaries of trans representation by redefining "trans" as an identity with its own power and strength, that goes beyond the gender binary.
Through intimate conversations with leading and influential figures in the trans community, such as Kate Bornstein, Travis Alabanza, Josephine Jones, Glamrou and E-J Scott, this book highlights the diversity of trans identities and experiences with regard to love, bodies, sex, race and class, and urges trans people - and the world at large - to embrace a "trans" identity as something that offers empowerment and autonomy.
Powerfully written, and with humour and advice throughout, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of gender and how we identify ourselves.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2019
34 people are currently reading
1268 people want to read
About the author
Juno Roche
10 books99 followersJuno Roche is a writer and campaigner whose work around gender, sexuality and trans lives has been funded by the likes of The Paul Hamlyn Foundation and described as 'provocative, cutting edge and innovative'. They studied Fine Art and Philosophy at Brighton and English Literature at Sussex, and writes for a wide range of publications including Bitch Magazine, Dazed, Vice, Broadly, Cosmopolitan, The i, i-D, The Independent, The Tate Magazine and Refinery29. They were born in Peckham and now live in the mountains of Andalusia.
Juno's first book, Queer Sex, was published in 2018.
Their second book, Trans Power, was published inOctober 2019.
Gender Explorers, their third book, will be published in June 2020
Queer Sex is simply phenomenal. (Bitch Media)
Queer Sex is an audacious and inspiring challenge to a system that shames trans bodies and desires. Roche's words are a gift to anyone looking to open their minds and fall in love with the possibilities of love. (CN Lester, academic, musician and author of Trans Like Me)
Juno's first book, Queer Sex, was published in 2018.
Their second book, Trans Power, was published inOctober 2019.
Gender Explorers, their third book, will be published in June 2020
Queer Sex is simply phenomenal. (Bitch Media)
Queer Sex is an audacious and inspiring challenge to a system that shames trans bodies and desires. Roche's words are a gift to anyone looking to open their minds and fall in love with the possibilities of love. (CN Lester, academic, musician and author of Trans Like Me)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 31, 2019
Well, I read this. I thought it would be a good idea for me to continue reading current literature on the topic of trans activism and gender and, well, I did. I read it.
Let me begin with some of the things I truly did appreciate about this book. The variety of interviewees left me rather astounded. Roche interviews couples, single folks, people of color, disabled people, and immigrants. Thusly, their views surrounding transness and queerness hinge upon their lived experiences and other kinds of oppression and privilege they might face. This was hugely interesting,m and I appreciated seeing such a huge variety of people being interviewed.
I also think that some of the interview questions were so astute, and the reflection bits afterwards were very well-thought out and equal parts educational and perhaps even philosophical. There was so much to be gleaned from these, especially since this book does not operate within an academic space--it has much more of an allowance to be what it is: unabridged, fresh, real.
But.
A lot of this left me uncomfortable. Now don't get me wrong--some of my discomfort felt appropriate; after all, this is a book that pushes boundaries and asks its readers to rethink what we might have grown up with.
But.
The introduction was filled with some really gross opinions that absolutely made me skin crawl. Sorry, I don't want to hear about your weird fetishization of your "cave", and I definitely don't want to hear about your frustrations with "allies without intimacy" as though "proper" and "successful" activism must include intercourse. I don't want to hear about your introduction to womanly sexuality via pornography, I don't want to hear about the kink games you're just so passionate about. I don't want to hear about how you colored in your penis with your mother's lipstick and then tucked it between your legs (is this supposed to garner sympathy? Because even though I recognize that it happened as a child, I can't shake the picture of using your mother's lip make-up--a symbol of femininity and sexuality of the mouth--to color and enclose a male sexual organ. Ew?)
I get that there is huge power in talking about bodies, sexuality, intercourse. And we need to talk about these topics. But good god, your problems with not having sex are yours and yours alone. Don't blame other activists for your not getting any, and I'm glad that there's discussion of bodies, but there is a thing called nuance and professionality.
Additionally, did Roche's interviewees know that they were going to be so blatantly asked about their genitals? Their sexual life? And in such a crude manner that felt all too personal? I sure hope so, because otherwise....yikes.
Anyways, I read this. Some things were good. A lot was really fucking weird. I wish I liked this book more, I wish that I could say I learned so many incredible insights, but really, I just felt creeped out about 90% of the time I was reading this. Roche might think this book is a success, but I would wonder whether Roche thinks their personal definition of success is better than the one with which we currently operate.
Review cross-listed here!
Let me begin with some of the things I truly did appreciate about this book. The variety of interviewees left me rather astounded. Roche interviews couples, single folks, people of color, disabled people, and immigrants. Thusly, their views surrounding transness and queerness hinge upon their lived experiences and other kinds of oppression and privilege they might face. This was hugely interesting,m and I appreciated seeing such a huge variety of people being interviewed.
I also think that some of the interview questions were so astute, and the reflection bits afterwards were very well-thought out and equal parts educational and perhaps even philosophical. There was so much to be gleaned from these, especially since this book does not operate within an academic space--it has much more of an allowance to be what it is: unabridged, fresh, real.
But.
A lot of this left me uncomfortable. Now don't get me wrong--some of my discomfort felt appropriate; after all, this is a book that pushes boundaries and asks its readers to rethink what we might have grown up with.
But.
The introduction was filled with some really gross opinions that absolutely made me skin crawl. Sorry, I don't want to hear about your weird fetishization of your "cave", and I definitely don't want to hear about your frustrations with "allies without intimacy" as though "proper" and "successful" activism must include intercourse. I don't want to hear about your introduction to womanly sexuality via pornography, I don't want to hear about the kink games you're just so passionate about. I don't want to hear about how you colored in your penis with your mother's lipstick and then tucked it between your legs (is this supposed to garner sympathy? Because even though I recognize that it happened as a child, I can't shake the picture of using your mother's lip make-up--a symbol of femininity and sexuality of the mouth--to color and enclose a male sexual organ. Ew?)
I get that there is huge power in talking about bodies, sexuality, intercourse. And we need to talk about these topics. But good god, your problems with not having sex are yours and yours alone. Don't blame other activists for your not getting any, and I'm glad that there's discussion of bodies, but there is a thing called nuance and professionality.
Additionally, did Roche's interviewees know that they were going to be so blatantly asked about their genitals? Their sexual life? And in such a crude manner that felt all too personal? I sure hope so, because otherwise....yikes.
Anyways, I read this. Some things were good. A lot was really fucking weird. I wish I liked this book more, I wish that I could say I learned so many incredible insights, but really, I just felt creeped out about 90% of the time I was reading this. Roche might think this book is a success, but I would wonder whether Roche thinks their personal definition of success is better than the one with which we currently operate.
Review cross-listed here!
November 13, 2019
I wish I could like this book
The advice and guidance given by the people interviewed helped me immensely. Hearing from such a wide selection of the trans community and experience, from people who have been trans longer than I have been alive, was so insightful and inspiring and I am so grateful for that portion of the book.
Everything else, however, was weird and uncomfortable in a way that was not at all productive or interesting. The author turns their inability to find a cis partner into a political issue and continually tries to recontextualize their post-srs genitals in a way that is frankly gross to read. A large portion of the first third of this book was just a description of them getting off under a tree in their back yard, told as some powerful political moment. This fixation bled into the interviews in ways that were very difficult to read.
My advice would be to read this book, but to skim over everything outside of the interview, and if you see an attempt at recontextualization of post-srs genitals just skip that page completely.
This book needed a stronger editor who could keep the author focused.
The advice and guidance given by the people interviewed helped me immensely. Hearing from such a wide selection of the trans community and experience, from people who have been trans longer than I have been alive, was so insightful and inspiring and I am so grateful for that portion of the book.
Everything else, however, was weird and uncomfortable in a way that was not at all productive or interesting. The author turns their inability to find a cis partner into a political issue and continually tries to recontextualize their post-srs genitals in a way that is frankly gross to read. A large portion of the first third of this book was just a description of them getting off under a tree in their back yard, told as some powerful political moment. This fixation bled into the interviews in ways that were very difficult to read.
My advice would be to read this book, but to skim over everything outside of the interview, and if you see an attempt at recontextualization of post-srs genitals just skip that page completely.
This book needed a stronger editor who could keep the author focused.
May 6, 2019
Trans Power is a book about trans identities, using interviews and personal memoir to explore different people's experiences and to consider sex, bodies, love, and more. Juno Roche talks to various influential figures to find out more about their gender, their identities, and how this intersects with other areas in their lives, and combines this with surrounding discussion on a personal and societal level. It is a powerful and raw book that highlights different voices and gives readers insight into a variety of experiences and identities.
July 1, 2020
This book was not quite what I expected it to be, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. There was a really heavy focus on bodies and sex. It was really interesting to get to hear different perspectives on that. That is a really important way to discuss power, particularly for trans people. I think the discussion of naming in particularly -- as it pertains to identity and bodies -- was really wonderful and necessary. However, I am not sure this was framed in the most effective way. I like the idea of including personal narrative and learning about the interviewer between interviews, however it was quite repetitive, especially in the first half. I'll be honest, I think my own discomfort and dissociation probably made me dislike this more than I would were I in a better headspace in relation to myself. Regardless, I do think that some important conversations were had in this book. I found the last few chapters particularly engaging. The last chapter really brought together the discussions in the book with recent events and discussion of empowerment. I wish that more of the book would have tapped into that broader discussion in a similar way.
June 24, 2019
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For my first read of June (coming late, but I have just got married) I wanted to really get into the spirit of Pride and read LGBTQ+centric books. It's important that I note that I read this as a cis white female and so this book was not really aimed at or written for me. I picked it up to better educate myself on Trans issues as I feel it's important that we inform ourselves in order to be allies.
I certainly learnt a lot from this book. Roche interviewed a variety of different people, each with different Trans and Queer stories, experiences and lives. I found each of them interesting and I think Roche had a great style of interview - relaxed and informal, conversational rather than questioning. I can imagine that's extremely important when talking in such detail about matters that people usually struggle to speak about so openly (sex, genitals, dysphoria, masturbation, etc.). There was also a real sense of raw emotion and honesty about this book which was refreshing.
I struggled with some elements - mainly the discomfort I felt while reading. There is a lot of crude language and unapologetic opinion on gender, privilege and what being an ally means. Roche writes from a point of high emotion and frustration, which meant that her words had a very unedited feel about them. I disliked the repetition, the same point being made a number of times but worded differently. But really, as I said, this book is not MEANT for me so it's no wonder that I'm uncomfortable. I appreciated being challenged and being given the opportunity to hear voices that desperately needed to be heard.
For my first read of June (coming late, but I have just got married) I wanted to really get into the spirit of Pride and read LGBTQ+centric books. It's important that I note that I read this as a cis white female and so this book was not really aimed at or written for me. I picked it up to better educate myself on Trans issues as I feel it's important that we inform ourselves in order to be allies.
I certainly learnt a lot from this book. Roche interviewed a variety of different people, each with different Trans and Queer stories, experiences and lives. I found each of them interesting and I think Roche had a great style of interview - relaxed and informal, conversational rather than questioning. I can imagine that's extremely important when talking in such detail about matters that people usually struggle to speak about so openly (sex, genitals, dysphoria, masturbation, etc.). There was also a real sense of raw emotion and honesty about this book which was refreshing.
I struggled with some elements - mainly the discomfort I felt while reading. There is a lot of crude language and unapologetic opinion on gender, privilege and what being an ally means. Roche writes from a point of high emotion and frustration, which meant that her words had a very unedited feel about them. I disliked the repetition, the same point being made a number of times but worded differently. But really, as I said, this book is not MEANT for me so it's no wonder that I'm uncomfortable. I appreciated being challenged and being given the opportunity to hear voices that desperately needed to be heard.
November 18, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up - i appreciated the authors thoughts at the start & end of the book, & at the start & end of each interview but did feel it become a bit repetitive by the end of it.
i’ve seen a few reviews criticizing the author for sharing their own experiences & perspectives in the interviews, & some people saying that they were trying to force their ideas onto the people they were talking to but i did not see it that way at all. the interviews felt more conversational & back & forth, with everyone involved bouncing off of each other to share without being overbearing, it felt less sterile or clinical than interviews can be.
i’ve also seen a lot of people expressing discomfort with the author discussing genitalia in their personal blurbs & in the interviews themselves, & it’s okay to be uncomfortable with those topics, but i think they were handled with care & genitalia for a lot of trans people is a huge aspect of identity & its interesting & helpful to hear individuals experiences & relationships with their trans genitals.
& one final thought, the author mentions at a few points how allies often won’t have sex with trans people & i’ve seen some reviewers taking that sentiment to mean that if you are an ally you MUST fuck trans people. i think it’s been misconstrued & the authors intention was that people often feign support for trans people, but won’t view them as viable sexual or romantic partner options. okay that’s all
i’ve seen a few reviews criticizing the author for sharing their own experiences & perspectives in the interviews, & some people saying that they were trying to force their ideas onto the people they were talking to but i did not see it that way at all. the interviews felt more conversational & back & forth, with everyone involved bouncing off of each other to share without being overbearing, it felt less sterile or clinical than interviews can be.
i’ve also seen a lot of people expressing discomfort with the author discussing genitalia in their personal blurbs & in the interviews themselves, & it’s okay to be uncomfortable with those topics, but i think they were handled with care & genitalia for a lot of trans people is a huge aspect of identity & its interesting & helpful to hear individuals experiences & relationships with their trans genitals.
& one final thought, the author mentions at a few points how allies often won’t have sex with trans people & i’ve seen some reviewers taking that sentiment to mean that if you are an ally you MUST fuck trans people. i think it’s been misconstrued & the authors intention was that people often feign support for trans people, but won’t view them as viable sexual or romantic partner options. okay that’s all
December 8, 2019
Mixed feelings. I really enjoyed the interviews, the selection of interviewees was broad and diverse and it was amazing to hear about their varying queer and trans experiences. It was truly mind-opening and I appreciate that. However, most of Roche's own contributions frustrated me. This book was very genital-centric, and that's just not something I enjoy reading about regardless of the context. It really put me off, and since genitals (and Roche's own genitals specifically) were something that got brought up in practically every single interview (and in-between), it got very repetitive and distracting very fast. I also wasn't a huge fan of Roche's interview style, which often seemed to be more about Roche's thoughts and experiences than the interviewee's. That may not have been the interviewees' experience and maybe the vibe was different in person, but that's certainly how it came off in the book. Personally I wasn't a huge fan, but I appreciate this book for what it was and what it wanted to do.
January 8, 2021
This has been a tough read. I've yet to sit down with myself and have an affirming brainstorm about gender. If that's even necessary (I think it's not).
There was understandably a lot of sex and genital talk by someone who was really really comfortable with it. Myself not being comfortable might be a heading on an imaginary brain storm.
I wish I'd read it backwards because the last load of cock talk (cistransandother) was empathetic and kind. Big human mess for all.
The last interview with E-J Scott was interesting, enlightening, curious, enriching. It was the best interview in a book full of interviews by someone not great at interviewing.
I had been at the booklaunch and was inspired by JR completely owning their gender as trans but it hasn't fit with me. I would have loved to see the interviews live because JR talks real easy.
Genderqueer is where it started for me 10+ years ago. I'll get that badge out but in the meantime, I'm just a bemused, charming, label-less bean.
There was understandably a lot of sex and genital talk by someone who was really really comfortable with it. Myself not being comfortable might be a heading on an imaginary brain storm.
I wish I'd read it backwards because the last load of cock talk (cistransandother) was empathetic and kind. Big human mess for all.
The last interview with E-J Scott was interesting, enlightening, curious, enriching. It was the best interview in a book full of interviews by someone not great at interviewing.
I had been at the booklaunch and was inspired by JR completely owning their gender as trans but it hasn't fit with me. I would have loved to see the interviews live because JR talks real easy.
Genderqueer is where it started for me 10+ years ago. I'll get that badge out but in the meantime, I'm just a bemused, charming, label-less bean.
December 8, 2019
It is an amazing book with a message that deserves to get out there - the message that being trans does not mean 'transitioning towards an impossible ideal' - being trans can be celebrated as a destination in itself'. Being trans does not equal 'being broken'.
The only downside of the book is that this message can be picked up from the intro and the first few chapters (and the last one), it starts to get a bit repetitive. And if you are the kind of trans person that likes to ignore their generals, be prepared for an in depth discussion.
The thing is, this message - being trans is not being broken - really needs to get out. Please read this book if you're trans and also if you're not!
The only downside of the book is that this message can be picked up from the intro and the first few chapters (and the last one), it starts to get a bit repetitive. And if you are the kind of trans person that likes to ignore their generals, be prepared for an in depth discussion.
The thing is, this message - being trans is not being broken - really needs to get out. Please read this book if you're trans and also if you're not!
Read
June 13, 2019Trans Power is a frank, explicit depiction of trans and non-binary experiences, especially in connection to their bodies and sexual desires.
The mission of Juno Roche in her book Trans Power is to invite (and confront) the reader into the raw, internal discussion of trans individuals as they navigate relationships and intimacy in their personal lives. Through interviews with various trans activists and figures, Roche asks honest questions (all (!) imaginable topics are seemingly on the table) and collects perspectives about where trans folk were, are, and may one day be.
In her opening chapter, “Transcentral,” she addresses her discomfort with her identity. “I don’t feel like a woman (or a man) anymore,” she writes. “Nor do I feel non-binary as it includes the word ‘binary’ […] I feel trans.” Where other texts on Booked Club’s QueeReads list by trans authors take a more distant, recollective approach to their personal identity (such as Eris Young’s They/Them/Their), Roche cracks open her life, musings, and insecurities right away, asking the reader to listen as their connection with their gender identity transforms in real time, gravitating between poles or ultimately levitating away from identifiable binary-weighed labels altogether. In a sense, her writing reminded me of slam poetry; covering her journey of finding power in her trans-ness while also stopping to meditate on the transformative moments along the way.
The overwhelming power of Trans Power for me was the pervasive reminder that I was entering and occupying a space that was not mine. At times, I felt like a fly on the wall that got stuck in some sticky tack and was forced to listen in, or like my radio was randomly picking up someone else’s signal. Although I felt invited at times, Roche is not afraid to make you (or herself) uncomfortable, and even addresses and interrogates her own positions and ideas aloud throughout her discussions with others. For this reason, I do not feel I have the ability or the authority to appropriately rate it on a five star scale. So here are my closing thoughts:
In this sense, Trans Power is a complex, fluid, pocket of physical and mental exploration—and it is not for everyone. I would not recommend it for everyone partially because of the explicit nature but also because of the complex writing style. This is in part because the writing itself is queer—quickly shifting between academic theory, erotica, diary recollections, interviews, memoir, and fantasy—sometimes all within the same paragraph. I definitely would suggest it to any fans of explorative books such as Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts.
Overall, there is a lot to learn from and think about, but if I were to recommend it to someone, it would be a gender studies major, a queer reads enthusiast, or someone within the trans community seeking to take control of their internal power.
Especially within the empowering closing chapter “Trans in Beautiful.” It is full of celebration for the future of trans-ness, pointing to the progress and youth she has been observing and time trudges onwards, a logical conclusion to her internal struggle as she aspires to embrace trans—as a destination, as an aspiration. “Trans is that ocean, that landscape, that sky,” she writes. “Trans is beautiful.”
Trans Power will be published on October 21, 2019 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. I would recommend it to high-level Queer Readers, especially those who liked Maggie Nelson's Argonauts.
The mission of Juno Roche in her book Trans Power is to invite (and confront) the reader into the raw, internal discussion of trans individuals as they navigate relationships and intimacy in their personal lives. Through interviews with various trans activists and figures, Roche asks honest questions (all (!) imaginable topics are seemingly on the table) and collects perspectives about where trans folk were, are, and may one day be.
In her opening chapter, “Transcentral,” she addresses her discomfort with her identity. “I don’t feel like a woman (or a man) anymore,” she writes. “Nor do I feel non-binary as it includes the word ‘binary’ […] I feel trans.” Where other texts on Booked Club’s QueeReads list by trans authors take a more distant, recollective approach to their personal identity (such as Eris Young’s They/Them/Their), Roche cracks open her life, musings, and insecurities right away, asking the reader to listen as their connection with their gender identity transforms in real time, gravitating between poles or ultimately levitating away from identifiable binary-weighed labels altogether. In a sense, her writing reminded me of slam poetry; covering her journey of finding power in her trans-ness while also stopping to meditate on the transformative moments along the way.
The overwhelming power of Trans Power for me was the pervasive reminder that I was entering and occupying a space that was not mine. At times, I felt like a fly on the wall that got stuck in some sticky tack and was forced to listen in, or like my radio was randomly picking up someone else’s signal. Although I felt invited at times, Roche is not afraid to make you (or herself) uncomfortable, and even addresses and interrogates her own positions and ideas aloud throughout her discussions with others. For this reason, I do not feel I have the ability or the authority to appropriately rate it on a five star scale. So here are my closing thoughts:
In this sense, Trans Power is a complex, fluid, pocket of physical and mental exploration—and it is not for everyone. I would not recommend it for everyone partially because of the explicit nature but also because of the complex writing style. This is in part because the writing itself is queer—quickly shifting between academic theory, erotica, diary recollections, interviews, memoir, and fantasy—sometimes all within the same paragraph. I definitely would suggest it to any fans of explorative books such as Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts.
Overall, there is a lot to learn from and think about, but if I were to recommend it to someone, it would be a gender studies major, a queer reads enthusiast, or someone within the trans community seeking to take control of their internal power.
Especially within the empowering closing chapter “Trans in Beautiful.” It is full of celebration for the future of trans-ness, pointing to the progress and youth she has been observing and time trudges onwards, a logical conclusion to her internal struggle as she aspires to embrace trans—as a destination, as an aspiration. “Trans is that ocean, that landscape, that sky,” she writes. “Trans is beautiful.”
Trans Power will be published on October 21, 2019 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. I would recommend it to high-level Queer Readers, especially those who liked Maggie Nelson's Argonauts.
March 1, 2022
I hate DNF'ing books, but constantly banging on about your genitals and they will always be there no matter what, to an audience many of whom will have gender dysphoria, is so tasteless and vile. So are extended descriptions of your personal masturbation sessions. After sitting to be be finished for a few weeks, I've realised I can't face going back to this book
Sorry
Sorry
April 29, 2019
A powerful and honest collection of interviews, this book gives us a lot of good for thought.
Read the full review on my blog.
Read the full review on my blog.
August 12, 2023
(I will be using they and she for the author here, in the last interview of the book they expressed a preference for they, but also expressed a lack of caring around pronouns used, but also the back of the book uses she for them, so I have no idea what to do here exactly.)
Oof, okay, a lot to unpack here. Let me start with the fact I really really wanted to like this and thought I would, especially after how much Gender Outlaws meant to me. I also really liked some of the takes on gendered structures here, like reconstructing the way trans people talk about and think about our genitals and the idea of moving away from binary centric language. The interviewees also all had very interesting stories and takes on gender I would have liked to see explored more rather than derailed.
But. The way this book was made is just... not helpful in any way. It seems like a series of chapters about the author searching for validation of her own conception of their personal identity in others, and trying to project their personal identity onto a community at large. Nearly every conversation, she spent paragraphs explaining their relationship to their genitalia and how allies never have sex with them and how trans is the extent of their label and seemingly trying to get the person being interviewed to agree with that in THEIR life.
The most egregious example was digging at nonbinary identity to someone who identifies as nonbinary. The person being interviewed didn't comment on it and she didn't circle back to the point, but it really jumped out at me because Jesus Christ. Or even pushing the narrative that trans allies never fuck trans people when speaking to a couple where only one of them is speaking on their transness and actively identifies with transness. I understand that the desexualization and otherizing of transness by allies is a genuine problem that comes from overarching issues around how transness is viewed, but also... not everyone experiences the same world!
(And the framing as "allies won't fuck me" when Juno explicitly is T4T is also very confusing for me, because then you aren't being rejected by allies?) (Also also, it's absolutely because that dating profile is absolutely bonkers, right? If my husband who I love and think is so sexy's entire profile when we met was a paragraph of queer theory with no other personal information, I would not be married today.)
On a different but similar note, I was very uncomfortable about how they approached sex and sexuality. I am assuming Michael knows and has consented to their entire chapter being about how Juno thinks about them kissing and having sex all the time even though they're just friends, but it was still uncomfortable to read about and see so much commentary on their thoughts not explored because she has a crush on them. (And also them saying that they jacked off to Kate and Barbara later, Jesus, I hope the couple was cool with that, I'd die if someone wrote that about ne after giving a personal interview about my identity)
Also, sorry, but if I told someone I have their back if there's a hatecrime or something and they told me to have sex with them and then framed my discomfort as transphobia I would LOSE MY MIND. That is so viscerally upsetting and degrading.
Also, there was, like, a lot of racism in this book? It was all very microaggressive but the framing that this stranger you have a parasocial relationship with would be friends with your dead friend seemingly on the basis they are both Black revolutionaries is SO deranged, and then to spend the entirety on your thoughts on them about how you're white and racism is bad??? It was... a lot.
I also noticed microaggressions in Glamarou's interview, specifically how whenever they talked about being hypersexualized as a brown person who's read as a man of color, Juno tied it back to her own sexual insecurities for validation. This was less egregious, and hopefully is me misunderstanding their responses, but it read... bad.
And, finally, EJ randomly saying all the men in Tokyo were androgynous. Jesus. Christ. They are just east asian oh my god.
Oof, okay, a lot to unpack here. Let me start with the fact I really really wanted to like this and thought I would, especially after how much Gender Outlaws meant to me. I also really liked some of the takes on gendered structures here, like reconstructing the way trans people talk about and think about our genitals and the idea of moving away from binary centric language. The interviewees also all had very interesting stories and takes on gender I would have liked to see explored more rather than derailed.
But. The way this book was made is just... not helpful in any way. It seems like a series of chapters about the author searching for validation of her own conception of their personal identity in others, and trying to project their personal identity onto a community at large. Nearly every conversation, she spent paragraphs explaining their relationship to their genitalia and how allies never have sex with them and how trans is the extent of their label and seemingly trying to get the person being interviewed to agree with that in THEIR life.
The most egregious example was digging at nonbinary identity to someone who identifies as nonbinary. The person being interviewed didn't comment on it and she didn't circle back to the point, but it really jumped out at me because Jesus Christ. Or even pushing the narrative that trans allies never fuck trans people when speaking to a couple where only one of them is speaking on their transness and actively identifies with transness. I understand that the desexualization and otherizing of transness by allies is a genuine problem that comes from overarching issues around how transness is viewed, but also... not everyone experiences the same world!
(And the framing as "allies won't fuck me" when Juno explicitly is T4T is also very confusing for me, because then you aren't being rejected by allies?) (Also also, it's absolutely because that dating profile is absolutely bonkers, right? If my husband who I love and think is so sexy's entire profile when we met was a paragraph of queer theory with no other personal information, I would not be married today.)
On a different but similar note, I was very uncomfortable about how they approached sex and sexuality. I am assuming Michael knows and has consented to their entire chapter being about how Juno thinks about them kissing and having sex all the time even though they're just friends, but it was still uncomfortable to read about and see so much commentary on their thoughts not explored because she has a crush on them. (And also them saying that they jacked off to Kate and Barbara later, Jesus, I hope the couple was cool with that, I'd die if someone wrote that about ne after giving a personal interview about my identity)
Also, sorry, but if I told someone I have their back if there's a hatecrime or something and they told me to have sex with them and then framed my discomfort as transphobia I would LOSE MY MIND. That is so viscerally upsetting and degrading.
Also, there was, like, a lot of racism in this book? It was all very microaggressive but the framing that this stranger you have a parasocial relationship with would be friends with your dead friend seemingly on the basis they are both Black revolutionaries is SO deranged, and then to spend the entirety on your thoughts on them about how you're white and racism is bad??? It was... a lot.
I also noticed microaggressions in Glamarou's interview, specifically how whenever they talked about being hypersexualized as a brown person who's read as a man of color, Juno tied it back to her own sexual insecurities for validation. This was less egregious, and hopefully is me misunderstanding their responses, but it read... bad.
And, finally, EJ randomly saying all the men in Tokyo were androgynous. Jesus. Christ. They are just east asian oh my god.
May 21, 2020
I certainly learnt a lot from the diverse interview partners and I was inspired by the discussion of "trans" as an identity and destination of its own, and the rejection of "nonbinary" as an identification term. But I was also glad when I finished the book.
Roche's writing / thinking is repetitive. It circles around their discomfort (?) around their postop genitals and their identification as "trans". While I do find their thoughts on body-modification and recontextualisation of genitalia relevant and interesting, the style often put me off.
Some other reviews that I resonate with:
* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ("I get that there is huge power in talking about bodies, sexuality, intercourse. And we need to talk about these topics. But good god, your problems with not having sex are yours and yours alone. Don't blame other activists for your not getting any, and I'm glad that there's discussion of bodies, but there is a thing called nuance and professionality.")
* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ("The author turns their inability to find a cis partner into a political issue and continually tries to recontextualize their post-srs genitals in a way that is frankly gross to read.")
* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ("most of Roche's own contributions frustrated me. This book was very genital-centric (...) genitals (and Roche's own genitals specifically) were something that got brought up in practically every single interview (and in-between), it got very repetitive and distracting very fast. I also wasn't a huge fan of Roche's interview style, which often seemed to be more about Roche's thoughts and experiences than the interviewee's.")
Roche's writing / thinking is repetitive. It circles around their discomfort (?) around their postop genitals and their identification as "trans". While I do find their thoughts on body-modification and recontextualisation of genitalia relevant and interesting, the style often put me off.
Some other reviews that I resonate with:
* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ("I get that there is huge power in talking about bodies, sexuality, intercourse. And we need to talk about these topics. But good god, your problems with not having sex are yours and yours alone. Don't blame other activists for your not getting any, and I'm glad that there's discussion of bodies, but there is a thing called nuance and professionality.")
* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ("The author turns their inability to find a cis partner into a political issue and continually tries to recontextualize their post-srs genitals in a way that is frankly gross to read.")
* https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ("most of Roche's own contributions frustrated me. This book was very genital-centric (...) genitals (and Roche's own genitals specifically) were something that got brought up in practically every single interview (and in-between), it got very repetitive and distracting very fast. I also wasn't a huge fan of Roche's interview style, which often seemed to be more about Roche's thoughts and experiences than the interviewee's.")
June 13, 2020
This book is Kate Bornstein saying: "If you want to call me 'he', that tells me more about you; if you want to call me 'she', that tells me more about you. What you think I am, does not affect who I am or consider myself to be." <3
This book is Juno Roche comparing the cis-normative and heteronormative transgender existence in this particular world we live in to Stockholm Syndrome. They talk about 'trans-affirming care", refusing to accept medical intervention as a way to not only leave trans behind but to also become "good enough" or "passing" women and men in the eyes of cis-people. Everything they say is about affirming a positive trans identity in the body that you live in, whatever that means to you and regardless of whether or not you needed medical care to make that body yours.
Roche calls transpeople a disruptive force and means it in a good way. They are much further along on their journey than a lot of other people indoctrinated into internalized transphobia, and is able to make statements like: "There is something inherently magical about being trans." One can only hope magic is what the future holds for the transkids growing up today, and for generations to come. Reading this book is a breath of fresh air, albeit difficult to read at times (graphic descriptions of surgery related issues and sex, for example). Clearly a book written for transpeople by a transperson.
This book is Juno Roche comparing the cis-normative and heteronormative transgender existence in this particular world we live in to Stockholm Syndrome. They talk about 'trans-affirming care", refusing to accept medical intervention as a way to not only leave trans behind but to also become "good enough" or "passing" women and men in the eyes of cis-people. Everything they say is about affirming a positive trans identity in the body that you live in, whatever that means to you and regardless of whether or not you needed medical care to make that body yours.
Roche calls transpeople a disruptive force and means it in a good way. They are much further along on their journey than a lot of other people indoctrinated into internalized transphobia, and is able to make statements like: "There is something inherently magical about being trans." One can only hope magic is what the future holds for the transkids growing up today, and for generations to come. Reading this book is a breath of fresh air, albeit difficult to read at times (graphic descriptions of surgery related issues and sex, for example). Clearly a book written for transpeople by a transperson.
November 2, 2025
I learned a lot from this book but only from the interview parts. The rest is really hard to get through and although I really tried to finish the book I gave up right after the part in which the author for the 1836372927351936391946th time talked about her genitals and tried to convince herself that she does not regret her srs surgery.
If you need something better after reading / struggling to finish this book I highly recommend “none of the above” by Travis Alabanza (the first interview person in Trans Power) That one is definitely 10/10
If you need something better after reading / struggling to finish this book I highly recommend “none of the above” by Travis Alabanza (the first interview person in Trans Power) That one is definitely 10/10
December 30, 2019
Thought provoking, relatable, insightful and beautifully vulnerable. Brilliant book!
July 18, 2021
y'all ever read a book and it just changes your life, even if it's only a little?
yeah, this is one of those books for me
yeah, this is one of those books for me
December 7, 2019
62/52 books read in 2019.
Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4,5 stars
Full review to come.
Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4,5 stars
Full review to come.
January 11, 2022
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
Here we go again. I just don’t seem to learn. I saw trans and I immediately wanted to read the book. I didn’t notice who the author was, that was my big mistake. If I would have place that name, I would not have wanted to read this book.
So all of the issues I had in the first book Roche wrote are alive and well in this book too. I started to get into the book, I was not 100% agreeing with Roche but I was loving the chance to see her view. Then BAM! Graphic description of her “wanking” and why the term “wanking” is more accurate than masturbating, because of sexism. I did not need to know or want to know what Roche’s erogenous zones are. This book is about claiming trans as an identity, not about the masturbation habits of one person.
So I started to skip pages and pages and pages. 20% into the book the first interview happened. By this point I am already over the book. This could have been a powerful book about accepting yourself and not limiting yourself, instead all I got was annoyed that Roche yet again made everything about her genitalia and sex. I get that sexuality is a huge part of identity. I have had my issues finding labels and communities that fit me. My transition is not about my sex life. It is not about my sexuality. I would not try and convince someone they are perfect by giving them graphic descriptions of my nipples.
Roche and I appear to be on totally different wavelengths, despite having similar ideas based on the backs of her books. I have been uncomfortable identifying as male or as a man for about a decade now. I have felt that trans has been a better label for me. So I can see where she is coming from, but her methods of explaining it have pushed me so far away that I won’t be able to see her point any more. Others seem to really like her book and this book in particular. I will be avoiding her for a while. I will try again in a few years. Kate Bornstein and I weren’t a good match for a long time. Now she makes perfect sense. So maybe Roche will be the same way. If my views change or my comfort level with surprise graphic details of someone else’s sex life and body, I will be sure to come back and update everyone.
I got an ARC of this book.
Here we go again. I just don’t seem to learn. I saw trans and I immediately wanted to read the book. I didn’t notice who the author was, that was my big mistake. If I would have place that name, I would not have wanted to read this book.
So all of the issues I had in the first book Roche wrote are alive and well in this book too. I started to get into the book, I was not 100% agreeing with Roche but I was loving the chance to see her view. Then BAM! Graphic description of her “wanking” and why the term “wanking” is more accurate than masturbating, because of sexism. I did not need to know or want to know what Roche’s erogenous zones are. This book is about claiming trans as an identity, not about the masturbation habits of one person.
So I started to skip pages and pages and pages. 20% into the book the first interview happened. By this point I am already over the book. This could have been a powerful book about accepting yourself and not limiting yourself, instead all I got was annoyed that Roche yet again made everything about her genitalia and sex. I get that sexuality is a huge part of identity. I have had my issues finding labels and communities that fit me. My transition is not about my sex life. It is not about my sexuality. I would not try and convince someone they are perfect by giving them graphic descriptions of my nipples.
Roche and I appear to be on totally different wavelengths, despite having similar ideas based on the backs of her books. I have been uncomfortable identifying as male or as a man for about a decade now. I have felt that trans has been a better label for me. So I can see where she is coming from, but her methods of explaining it have pushed me so far away that I won’t be able to see her point any more. Others seem to really like her book and this book in particular. I will be avoiding her for a while. I will try again in a few years. Kate Bornstein and I weren’t a good match for a long time. Now she makes perfect sense. So maybe Roche will be the same way. If my views change or my comfort level with surprise graphic details of someone else’s sex life and body, I will be sure to come back and update everyone.
March 9, 2020
I recently read, and reviewed ‘queer sex’, by Juno Roche, and really enjoyed that book. So, I was excited to hear that the author has another book available and even more excited that the publisher allowed me to see an ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Queer Sex was a journey of self-discovery for the author. It was a series of interviews with queer individuals which asked how they came to terms with their identity. It explored their daily sexual lives. In Trans Power, Roche continues her personal journey, asking her interviewees how they conceptualize their sexual identity, questioning the language we use when we speak about queer and trans individuals. This work challenges us, as individuals and society, to rethink, and keep rethinking, the way we think about ourselves, others, and society. I really loved this book
April 10, 2019
*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Such an important book that I feel like everyone should read. A collection of interviews with people from the trans community who share their stories, struggles and are so open about it. It's really very special that they want to share this with us and I can't say enough how brave they are.
Like I said I think everyone should read it but especially people from the lgbt+ community because trans people and especially those of colour are the founders of our community and we need to support them and stand with them always. And to read this and get more insight, get to know their thoughts, feelings is just special.
Thank you to the author and to everyone who was interviewed.
Such an important book that I feel like everyone should read. A collection of interviews with people from the trans community who share their stories, struggles and are so open about it. It's really very special that they want to share this with us and I can't say enough how brave they are.
Like I said I think everyone should read it but especially people from the lgbt+ community because trans people and especially those of colour are the founders of our community and we need to support them and stand with them always. And to read this and get more insight, get to know their thoughts, feelings is just special.
Thank you to the author and to everyone who was interviewed.
May 11, 2025
I think if the author didn’t have such a weird fixation on her own genitals and didn’t use terms that frankly make the majority uncomfortable then this would have been a better book.
There was some good points in this book, so don’t get me wrong, but I think the trans community would expect something more liberating with the title of the book being “trans power”. However, instead we got “cave” and (I’m paraphrasing here) “inverted penis”, which are very dehumanising to a lot of pre and post op srs trans women. We should have had a book more about the intricacies of trans people in relationships and the beauty that it brings forth, instead of whatever this was.
I feel like sections of this book could be used in a very negative way if the mainstream media heard about this.
There was some good points in this book, so don’t get me wrong, but I think the trans community would expect something more liberating with the title of the book being “trans power”. However, instead we got “cave” and (I’m paraphrasing here) “inverted penis”, which are very dehumanising to a lot of pre and post op srs trans women. We should have had a book more about the intricacies of trans people in relationships and the beauty that it brings forth, instead of whatever this was.
I feel like sections of this book could be used in a very negative way if the mainstream media heard about this.
July 13, 2020
I really wanted to love this, but what stopped me was the way the author seemed to hijack every chapter and every interview and make it about them, when all I wanted was to read about the amazing (and frankly WAY more interesting) intersectional group of trans people and how THEY felt about their own transness (and not the author, several times per chapter).
While many interesting conversations were had, I can't help but feel like the author was just interviewing people for her own autobiography, bringing it back to herself every time the interviewee started talking about something else.
While many interesting conversations were had, I can't help but feel like the author was just interviewing people for her own autobiography, bringing it back to herself every time the interviewee started talking about something else.
Read
September 11, 2021*Book received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This book was very necessary and I think it's come at a good time. There are extremely powerful stories shared here and I'm honestly honored by the trust these people have given to share such intimate parts of themselves with the world.
This book was very necessary and I think it's come at a good time. There are extremely powerful stories shared here and I'm honestly honored by the trust these people have given to share such intimate parts of themselves with the world.
January 20, 2020
Unfortunately this book did not work for me. The intro was most enlightening though the following interview format wasn’t my style.
July 2, 2021
The first time Juno Roche tells you about their reconfigured cock and balls is interesting, insightful even. The tenth time is a combination of cringe worthy and tedious.
April 13, 2019
*I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The focus of Trans Power is a series of interviews around sex and transness, on the practicalities of pleasure, dysphoria, trans bodies, and the world of potential issues and ideas that can spring up within those concepts. She talks to veteran activists, drag stars, museum curators, and close friends, and each of the interviews Roche conducts reveals different conceptualizations and personal relationships to transness, sex, binary gender categories, genitals, dysphoria, pleasure. She doesn’t shy away from difficult topics: suicide, death, disability, illness, rape, assault, transphobia--nothing is pushed away or brushed aside as too much to deal with.
Juno Roche is a vivid and engaging writer, and the book is a boundary-pushing and sometimes radical read. Her language ranges from deeply academic to casually pornographic and back again, often within the space of a paragraph. The well-circulated meme about how trans folks talk about gender applies well here--the language we use is curated and careful and researched and personal because we have taken the time to engage with our thoughts and feelings and bodies and communities.
Overall, this was a beautifully written, thought-provoking, immensely sensual, and wonderfully timely book.
I really wished I liked it more than I did. (I'd prefer to give 3.5 stars than 4, but I err on the side of positive than negative for authors.)
As brilliant as the writing of the book was, it was difficult to fully connect. The narrative seemed, at times, unsure of what it wanted to be: a collection of interviews, a diary, a memoir, a place to process a personal perspective on an ideology of transness. Any of those things would be totally valid (and I’d read any of them, and even a combination!) but the lack of a clear structure of the text felt like there wasn’t a clear arc. The interviews, too, were difficult at times: it frequently seemed that Roche was more interested in speaking than listening. I would have loved to have more of her subject’s perspectives on the issues she raised around gender and transness--I already knew where Roche stood, it was her book! If she had framed the chapters as conversations rather than interviews maybe the discrepancy wouldn’t have been so jarring, but I did feel it.
Another area that stood out for me, repeatedly, was the juxtaposition of the joyousness with which Roche connected to the power of trans but time and again came back to a rejection of the nonbinary identity. Full disclosure: I am queer and nonbinary, so my knee-jerk struggle with this was definitely personal. Roche framed her argument from the perspective that to be nonbinary is to a) validate the gender binary in the first place and b) to then be “non”, “less than” one of those validated binary categories. Pretty much every nonbinary person I know would take issue with both of those arguments and the sum of them. As nonbinary does fall within the trans umbrella, I wish she would have included a nonbinary interview subject in her book--there are amazing enby activists, performers, and academics out there doing incredible work, and the way we relate to and name our bodies and our sexual experiences are just as nuanced and complex as our other trans siblings. If trans is beautiful (which it is!) as she ends the book declaratively, nonbinary must be, too.
Structural and personal challenges with the text aside, the book does do what I believe it set out to: present a series of thought-provoking and engaging conversations around the way we think about trans bodies and sexuality, and how we can conceive of trans as an identity without a qualifier, offering power, beauty, strength, and healing. It’s a personal read, occasionally a difficult one, and always deeply, beautifully honest. You will come away from it a wiser person than you were before.
The focus of Trans Power is a series of interviews around sex and transness, on the practicalities of pleasure, dysphoria, trans bodies, and the world of potential issues and ideas that can spring up within those concepts. She talks to veteran activists, drag stars, museum curators, and close friends, and each of the interviews Roche conducts reveals different conceptualizations and personal relationships to transness, sex, binary gender categories, genitals, dysphoria, pleasure. She doesn’t shy away from difficult topics: suicide, death, disability, illness, rape, assault, transphobia--nothing is pushed away or brushed aside as too much to deal with.
Juno Roche is a vivid and engaging writer, and the book is a boundary-pushing and sometimes radical read. Her language ranges from deeply academic to casually pornographic and back again, often within the space of a paragraph. The well-circulated meme about how trans folks talk about gender applies well here--the language we use is curated and careful and researched and personal because we have taken the time to engage with our thoughts and feelings and bodies and communities.
Overall, this was a beautifully written, thought-provoking, immensely sensual, and wonderfully timely book.
I really wished I liked it more than I did. (I'd prefer to give 3.5 stars than 4, but I err on the side of positive than negative for authors.)
As brilliant as the writing of the book was, it was difficult to fully connect. The narrative seemed, at times, unsure of what it wanted to be: a collection of interviews, a diary, a memoir, a place to process a personal perspective on an ideology of transness. Any of those things would be totally valid (and I’d read any of them, and even a combination!) but the lack of a clear structure of the text felt like there wasn’t a clear arc. The interviews, too, were difficult at times: it frequently seemed that Roche was more interested in speaking than listening. I would have loved to have more of her subject’s perspectives on the issues she raised around gender and transness--I already knew where Roche stood, it was her book! If she had framed the chapters as conversations rather than interviews maybe the discrepancy wouldn’t have been so jarring, but I did feel it.
Another area that stood out for me, repeatedly, was the juxtaposition of the joyousness with which Roche connected to the power of trans but time and again came back to a rejection of the nonbinary identity. Full disclosure: I am queer and nonbinary, so my knee-jerk struggle with this was definitely personal. Roche framed her argument from the perspective that to be nonbinary is to a) validate the gender binary in the first place and b) to then be “non”, “less than” one of those validated binary categories. Pretty much every nonbinary person I know would take issue with both of those arguments and the sum of them. As nonbinary does fall within the trans umbrella, I wish she would have included a nonbinary interview subject in her book--there are amazing enby activists, performers, and academics out there doing incredible work, and the way we relate to and name our bodies and our sexual experiences are just as nuanced and complex as our other trans siblings. If trans is beautiful (which it is!) as she ends the book declaratively, nonbinary must be, too.
Structural and personal challenges with the text aside, the book does do what I believe it set out to: present a series of thought-provoking and engaging conversations around the way we think about trans bodies and sexuality, and how we can conceive of trans as an identity without a qualifier, offering power, beauty, strength, and healing. It’s a personal read, occasionally a difficult one, and always deeply, beautifully honest. You will come away from it a wiser person than you were before.
May 6, 2019
Another important book by Juno Roche, this book follows on from Queer sex, using a similar formula of interviews with key trans and non-binary people, in-between the authors personal reflections. Queer sex was the author's quest for love, this book is about their journey to love themselves including their body, as a trans woman who has had surgery. An open and honest exploration of how to have sexual pleasure, following current wisdom about finding out what you like before you can tell someone else. I particularly liked where Juno says:
"We need to ask better questions around our surgery, not just the one of 'looking real'."
followed by a list of questions that made me think about what questions might anyone have about their body and what it can and can't do.
This book makes the case in several points that Trans and non binary people are pushing the boundaries of gender but that they are not alone:
"History is full of cis folk trying to please and blend into the gender binary to no avail. It's not like we are the sole owners of dysphoria; that shit exists all around,..."
Juno goes on to say how the system (of gender) is broken and it is certainly hard to argue against that.
I enjoyed this book but found it went further than Queer sex, if that was an introduction then this is the continuation, it was like being in the room whilst people discussed queer theory, interesting, sometimes confusing and challenging, but ultimately engaging. At times I would have liked more awareness and discussion of dysphoria that exists around different body sizes and ethnicities. I really enjoy the way Juno writes and concepts and found the book thought provoking and an important addition to Trans narratives.
With thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC for an honest review.
"We need to ask better questions around our surgery, not just the one of 'looking real'."
followed by a list of questions that made me think about what questions might anyone have about their body and what it can and can't do.
This book makes the case in several points that Trans and non binary people are pushing the boundaries of gender but that they are not alone:
"History is full of cis folk trying to please and blend into the gender binary to no avail. It's not like we are the sole owners of dysphoria; that shit exists all around,..."
Juno goes on to say how the system (of gender) is broken and it is certainly hard to argue against that.
I enjoyed this book but found it went further than Queer sex, if that was an introduction then this is the continuation, it was like being in the room whilst people discussed queer theory, interesting, sometimes confusing and challenging, but ultimately engaging. At times I would have liked more awareness and discussion of dysphoria that exists around different body sizes and ethnicities. I really enjoy the way Juno writes and concepts and found the book thought provoking and an important addition to Trans narratives.
With thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC for an honest review.
June 6, 2019
This book isn't for me. I mean that both ways - it's not a book I would purchase for myself and it wasn't written for me. It's. not. for. me. It's not for me to judge, and because of that, I feel poorly for rating it lower than a four. But I also feel that my rating might help someone else understand what it is not so that the book isn't judged unfairly by someone who didn't take the time to understand what it is. Perhaps that's naive?
This book made me feel uncomfortable. I requested access to this book to try to educate myself better on trans issues. And through Juno Roche's expertly pieced together mosaic of interviews covering trans and nonbinary perspectives, I do feel better educated. I understand that the raw language was intended to be provocative (I counted the word "cunt" at least ten times in the first 45 minutes of reading it...and that's only after I started keeping track). I am supposed to feel uncomfortable, to feel confronted by things previously held sacred. To question what it means to be a woman. To be a man. Whatever that means. But it felt a little like being punched in the face just for having a dumb look on my face. Maybe whoever punched me feels like I deserved it. It doesn't mean I'm ready for it.
This book made me uncomfortable. And perhaps I should feel uncomfortable. Maybe I'm guilty of cis-privilege and I need the wake-up call to understand the experience this whole other group is feeling that I'm so blind to. Regardless of that, I didn't enjoy reading this book.
Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Juno Roche, and NetGalley for allowing me to access this book to review. As always, all opinions are my own.
This book made me feel uncomfortable. I requested access to this book to try to educate myself better on trans issues. And through Juno Roche's expertly pieced together mosaic of interviews covering trans and nonbinary perspectives, I do feel better educated. I understand that the raw language was intended to be provocative (I counted the word "cunt" at least ten times in the first 45 minutes of reading it...and that's only after I started keeping track). I am supposed to feel uncomfortable, to feel confronted by things previously held sacred. To question what it means to be a woman. To be a man. Whatever that means. But it felt a little like being punched in the face just for having a dumb look on my face. Maybe whoever punched me feels like I deserved it. It doesn't mean I'm ready for it.
This book made me uncomfortable. And perhaps I should feel uncomfortable. Maybe I'm guilty of cis-privilege and I need the wake-up call to understand the experience this whole other group is feeling that I'm so blind to. Regardless of that, I didn't enjoy reading this book.
Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Juno Roche, and NetGalley for allowing me to access this book to review. As always, all opinions are my own.
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