What If I'm Right About Being Trans (in True Magazine)

An essay and review of Schuyler Bailar's He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters

Jan 26, 2024

I’m excited to share my latest published piece with you: What If I’m Right About Being Trans in True Magazine. This is a combination personal essay/book review of He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters by Schuyler Bailar (Amazon affiliate link). Today, my piece is the cover story on their site!

Screenshot of "What if I'm Right About Being Trans." "I didn't know how to talk about gender when I was growing up, but I was lucky enough to learn as an adult from trans authors."

I talk about what it was like to grow up as a trans and nonbinary kid, but without being able to understand or describe my experiences with gender. As an adult, reading books about trans experiences and writing down my own experiences allowed me to understand myself more fully.

A Review of Schuyler Bailar's He/She/They. I grew up in the 90's, when parent's didn't talk about gender or sexuality. Kids like me were a large-scale experiment: if our parents didn't tell us about LGBTQ+ people, we'd turn out normative. It didn't work. Some of us say, "I didn't have the words," to explain a strange, surreal, dissociated childhood. But it's not just that we didn't have the words. We didn't understand the ideas. We couldn't express who we are.

It’s worth noting, I’m trying to make a point about my entire generation (and likely others as well). My parents are (and were) supportive of me and the other LGBTQ+ people in our lives. But we were all part of this culture where people didn’t really discuss or interrogate gender. I find it fascinating that all these subconscious gendered expectations are placed on everyone. So I’m talking about it now.

He/She/They (Amazon affiliate link) is an excellent book for helping people, whether they are trans or not, understand and respect trans people more. Highly recommend.

Read my essay/review

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Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments.

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Take care,

Rey

Adryan Corcione

Adryan's POV

Jan 26Liked by Rey Katz (they/them)

Congrats on the piece, Rey! 🎉

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1 reply by Rey Katz (they/them)

Robin Taylor (he/him)

That Trans Friend You Didn't Kn…

High five, Rey! Your linked article is outstanding! I'm already a big fan of your writing voice and your approach, but you've shown up in stellar fashion for the trans/nonbinary/queer community here, and I am simply bursting with pride to share this joy with you. Well done, friend!

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What If I'm Right About Being Trans (in True Magazine)

An essay and review of Schuyler Bailar's He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters

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