Transfixed

by Lisa McIntyre

TransfixedBy Lisa McIntyreLisa McIntyre was born, apparently a boy, in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1964. She grew up just outside Glasgow in a tough working-class area of Scotland. The boy ‘Alan’, like many other teenagers in that environment, discovered alcohol, drugs and violence, and became an active member of one of the many street gangs that were rife in that area of Scotland during the 1970s and 1980s. Bloody street flights, knife crime and domestic violence at home were commonplace.This isn’t what makes Lisa’s story remarkable. The remarkable part of the story is that she knew from an early age, and during her time in the gangs that, the male body she inhabited never felt comfortable; in fact, it felt alien and completely wrong. She felt she was, contrary to her outward appearance, female.Transfixed charts the astonishing true story of how Alan became Lisa. We follow Lisa’s journey through school and her adolescence. We see her struggle with her own identity, dressing in her sister’s clothes during snatched moments or an occasional day spent as ‘her’, while also being part of a violent street gang and trying to find acceptance as ‘him’.All the while, Lisa was unable to tell anyone else about her situation, because of the ignorance and prejudice of those around her, especially within her own family who, in later years, would eventually disown her.Lisa describes her many battles with self-identity, her numerous ‘transitions’, her attempts to obtain sex-change surgery through the NHS, her struggles against the prevailing establishment thinking at the time, and the self-styled so-called gender experts.It describes her failed transition attempts, her conviction for GBH and subsequent sentence to borstal. We follow Lisa’s often comical sexual misadventures, and her brushes with celebrity in Glasgow and California. There are episodes of darkness, we read about her bouts of depression, her lapses into alcoholism, her self-destructive attempts to sabotage her own transition to becoming female, and her suicide attempts.We also cover the political backdrop, living under Margaret Thatcher’s controversial homophobic Section 28 laws, and also living through the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s; about how difficult it was to be taken seriously as a transsexual woman, at a time when the term was barely used outside of a few specialist clinics; and the struggle to convince others that gender identity and sexual orientation are completely separate.After one abandoned attempt at transitioning, on the rebound, and to over-compensate for the shame of her inner femininity, Lisa gets married (as a man), becomes a parent, and even works as a Glasgow night club bouncer. But her attempt to live as a husband and father was doomed and, in order to make a fresh start, Lisa makes the city of Norwich her home in 1988, where she still lives today.Lisa eventually finds true love with Alice, a lesbian ten years her junior and who accepts Lisa for who she is. Together they had two children and a twenty five year relationship.Thanks to Lisa’s entrepreneurial streak and never-say-die attitude, not to mention a period of lucrative work as a sex worker, she eventually fulfils her life-long ambition of having sex change surgery at a world-renowned clinic in Thailand.This book will shock with its backdrop of violence and darkness. It will educate readers with an honest and insightful story of a transsexual woman’s struggle with her self-identity. It will sadden with its pervasive sense of hate and prejudice from most of the people around her, from within the establishment and without. But, through it all, it will make you laugh, at the sheer absurdity of some of Lisa’s antics and experiences.This is an uplifting story of personal struggle, of perseverance, and of redemption. If it weren’t true, it would be very difficult to believe.This is Lisa’s story. This is Transfixed.

593 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2020

About the author

Lisa McIntyre is an artist, author, and campaigner for disability rights.
She lives in Norfolk UK
Contact: lisa@transfixed.uk

Website: www.transfixed.uk

Reviews

[Peter Herold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of the “facts” of this book are covered in the (very complete) description on Goodreads or Amazon (I bought the Kindle e-book), so I won’t repeat them here. I would just say that this is a kind of “against all odds”, roller-coaster biography: Lisa manages to “escape” not only from a sex assigned at birth that she from very early on isn’t happy with, but also from a poor, working-class Glasgow milieu where (male) gang violence, drinking and drugs are the norm. From my reading, each of these by themselves would have constituted a huge life hurdle, but their combination makes “escape” almost impossible – more than once I found myself thinking OMG, there’s no way she can get over this problem! The factors that allow Lisa to actually “make it” – her own character, determination, and ingenuity, but just as much the support she gets from other people – are what I’ll really remember from this book and these aspects regard just as much her working-class background as being trans. This is definitely NOT a book just about “being trans and transitioning”.

Lisa was born in 1964 and completed her transition – on the 4th attempt – in 2004, the year in which the UK Gender Recognition Act was passed and less than a decade after use of internet became widespread. The book finishes in 2005. Thus, the context of the narration is very much historic and not representative of the “environment” for trans people today, when there is much more awareness of “being trans”, many of us have trans friends and so on. Not only was I born in the same year as Lisa, but my partner was born in Glasgow and grew up on a council housing scheme SW of Glasgow, so there was lots I could relate to. Other, not just younger, readers may have benefitted from a bit more explanation to put the narration into a broader social and historical context, e.g., it could’ve been mentioned that Section 28 was repealed in 2000 in Scotland and in 2003 in England and Wales. The story is very much “as Lisa would tell it in her own words” and is a bit of a continuous flow; at times I’d have liked a bit more structure and there are a few typos to correct. For this reason, I knock off a star, but all the same a terrific tale from a terrific personality.

[Mandy Mckenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transfixed’ is a fascinating and informative story. A real page turner.
Lisa McIntyre was born as a boy on a Glasgow council estate, was a member of a gang and was involved in a lot of violence which led to borstal. From childhood, she always felt in the wrong body. The writer takes you through what it feels like from the inside, the discomfort and confusion and then the courageous and difficult journey of transitioning with two surgeries finally performed in Thailand.
‘Transfixed’ is a real education and everyone should read this before they form opinions about how we treat and legislate on gender issues.
It is also a Norwich story showing a city of tolerance and support. Lisa is strong, resourceful and lucky in equal measures but she doesn’t stint on both the logistical difficulties of transitioning as well as the physical procedures and their impact on both herself and others.
Lisa McIntyre has written a heartwarming story showing how human friendships and support for each other are what make us. It is sad in parts but is also very uplifting and funny. A fabulously brave and honest book.

[Pw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary and riveting account of the life of an "ordinary" person and the challenges they have faced in a harsh and unforgiving world. Lisa's achievements despite all that are astounding. I have nothing but admiration for what she has achieved through the challenges she had to go through. It is not a short book and certainly one needs an adequate attention span to get the most out of the book and some of the descriptions were hard to read. Overall, a worthwhile and rewarding read even if it takes some time some effort to read.

[Wendy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good story and a gripping read, but more importantly it’s a story that needs to be heard by as wide an audience as possible, not only because it puts the reader in the shoes of the writer so convincingly but also because it’s true. I can’t wait for the sequel.

[susan stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read

Great from beginning to end no holes barred I wish Lisa and her family all the best she’s faced a lot in her life but got there in the end with the help of her kind in-laws

[Sue Summerill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is too long to read.

I have read several transgender books,but this book is too long and drags on... Not recommend that nookt. There are many more books to read

[Chrisjackson]

Great

Well written and interesting character surprising story. Don't enjoy reading about so much drinking but still good and glad she cuts down in end