✨ Book Review! ✨

📕Book: Trans and Disabled: An Anthology of Identities and Experiences

📘 Genre: Non-Fiction

📖 Synopsis: Trans and Disabled is an anthology of poems, plays, drawings, stories, and essays about what it means to be trans and disabled, the intersections of these (and many other) identities, and individual experiences of these identities. 

📚 Review: Trans and Disabled covered a huge range of topics in a variety of formats. Like any anthology, some pieces were stronger than others, and I resonated with some, but not all of these contributions. I found some to be insightful and have their own voice, while some felt dry and kind of unfocused. Some were casual and accessible, while some were very academic. While there was diversity in the stories told, there was a surprising lack of trans women represented in this anthology, which was disappointing. 

I do think this was a valuable book that discussed important topics such as: trans broken arm syndrome; access in gender affirming care; systemic issues in trans health care (like not being able to check off both “male” and “pregnancy test” on a form), medical mistreatment, and isolation. 

I think overall, this was a good anthology that demonstrated how there is no one way to be trans or disabled. 

Some quotes that resonated with me are below:

”Here we’re inspired by Travis Alabanza (2022) who asks what everyone might learn from trans people, viewing us as a gift rather than any kind of problem to be fixed.” - John-Barker 

“Despite all of the struggle, there is still such beauty in knowing who you are. In finding the words that slide over you and perfectly click. The labels that fill every nook and cranny, eliminating the void of being unknown to yourself. When we find ourselves, in language and in community, it feels like coming home.” - Kattari

”I still think gender is suspect, just like I knew at six years old. I just have more words to explain why now.” - Iantaffi 

“I didn’t take testosterone and have surgery to get a particular kind of life; I did those things to keep my life, to stop life being so painful that all I wanted to do was end it.” - Games 

“I think this is what they mean by gender euphoria…. The nod of recognition I give when I see another queer person, and they see me.” - Moore 

“An ER is a place a trans person goes reluctantly. I can't forget the range of medical encounters as a queer and trans young adult. Being refused treatment, being ignored, being regarded as less than human, being called disgusting, and, more than 20 years later, still being dismissed and misdiagnosed.” - VonRaven

💫 Rating: 3.75/5

🌸Trans and Disabled is out January 20th, 2025! eARC read through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.🌸