As a young Trans+ girl, I was lucky to be at university, surrounded by so many queer people to support me, help me and guide me through the very early stages of my transition. I knew I was walking in the footsteps of giants, but I was never aware just how much of an impact Trans+ women are and have had on our world and would have done anything to have kind words and advice from those whose successes I sought to emulate. Luckily, such a book does now exist and its words have had such a key impact on me, as well as many others.
To My Trans Sisters is a collection of nearly one hundred specially curated letters aimed at Trans+ girls from Trans+ girls, passing advice, experience and wisdom onto a new cohort of those exploring their gender identity. Curated by Charlie Craggs, the anthology contains pieces from inspirational Trans+ women across the world, including author Juno Dawson, scientist Joan Roughgarden and many more, each sharing their perspectives on themselves, gender and the world in which we all find ourselves, and how newly out Trans+ girls can begin to navigate their own futures.
As a Trans+ girl myself, reading such powerful words from so many inspirational figures, each of whom having similar lived experiences to me was no less than heartwarming. I felt as though I was getting advice from a big sister and the candour and honesty that the writers expressed throughout the book was appreciated and quite moving. Being Trans+ can often be an isolating experience, particularly if young, and I think this book would be a great addition to the bookshelves of young people seeking a little bit of guidance throughout the confusion that the world can bring. Each letter begins with a brief introduction to the writer, helping you to feel a connection, even when they’re not there with you, that I’ve never experienced with any book before.
It was also a fantastic opportunity to highlight the amazing achievements of Trans+ women across the world, with writers from the worlds of literature, politics, the arts, science, civil service, sportspeople, journalists and all manner of careers that so often don’t get considered when discussing the Trans+ world. This gentle reminder was a strong message showing just what Trans+ women can accomplish in whatever field(s) we choose to go into and whatever we seek to do. This has clearly had profound impacts on so many of these people’s attitudes and experiences, the synergy of which really elevates their messages of hope and power to all who read it.
However, whilst inspirational this book does have some issues for me. Firstly, if you read this book cover to cover, you’re reading over 80 different letters to Trans+ girls. And whilst these are all deeply moving and powerful, you can tell each writer was left to cover whatever ground they wanted to. This is great, but it does mean a whole load of the messages say essentially the same thing. They each have their own flares and subtleties, but lots of them have very similar take-home messages, which can lead to a bit of burn-out reading them after a while as many can feel samey. None of them are bad or unhelpful by any means, but there’s only so many times the same message can be said. And this links on to my second main criticism of this anthology.
With many of the letters covering similar grounds, there will be small differences between accounts, as should be expected. However, there are some occasions where some of the advice imparted partially or fully contradicts some other passages. For example, one letter talks about encouraging people to figure out whether they are actually Trans+ or not as this is crucial towards next steps and the author spent years unsure, whilst others say that this isn’t actually important as long as you live your happiest life. Other such contradictions include getting gender-affirming treatment as soon as you know you’re Trans+ whilst others recommend holding off for a while, and some suggesting how important coming out is to friends and family regardless of circumstances and others encouraging patience.
There is, of course, no one way to be a Trans+ woman, and knowing each of these authors has tackled these in their own way is great to see as this really highlights this. However, if you’re reading this book as a questioning or very newly out Trans+ young person, this could be very confusing, may contribute to further insecurity and renders this book filled with positive advice a difficult one to navigate. I am glad each author was allowed to write about their experiences in their own unique way, but as a cohesive collection, there are some issues with its final presentation.
To My Trans Sisters is a powerful anthology that made me feel seen, loved and gave me so much hope from the people who have come before me, sharing their own experiences and advice in navigating the difficult world in which we find ourselves. There were so many beautiful accounts, which despite being sometimes self-contradictory are a testament to the sisterhood the Trans+ community is, and how much we can each help each other. If this book ever gets reprinted, I would like to see progress made on some of the issues which impact its effectiveness, but I strongly believe that every library and queer institution worldwide should consider stocking this book for the benefit of all of our Trans+ sisters.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
To My Trans Sisters (ISBN: 978-1-78592-343-2) was published in 2017. A copy is available to borrow from the LGBTQ+ Lending Library in the LGBTQ+ Lounge
