Subjects:  1. Christianity - General    2. Christianity - Theology - General    3. Gay Studies    4. Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction    5. Lesbian Studies    6. Reference    7. Religion    8. Religion - Socialissues   

Reviews (5)

scientific "truth" as oppression
In my opinion, Ms. Hausman's book is an outstanding read that looks crtitically not at the transsexual community, but at different scientific sectors (beginning with endocrinologists), and the way in which they shaped the concept of transsexualism as it existed at the end of World War II.It seems to me that the other reviewers here failed to actually look at Ms. Hausman's main argument.In her analysis, the author is not villifying transsexuals but rather the scientific and medical communities.Rather than attacking the construct of gender, Ms. Hausman is going a step further and attacking the idea of *sex* as a constricting dichotomy that doctors and scientists put forth as "truth."By deconstructing this hegemonic notion, Ms. Hausman asserts that the scientific and medical sectors created the 'need' for "sex change" as it was understood when the term was created circa 1940.Also, unlike what other reviewers have said here, Ms. Hausman does acknowledge the fact that forms of 'sex change' have existed throughout human history; however, she realizes that the term 'transsexual' is a modern one, as are the concepts now associated with it, and thus a direct comparison between modern sex change and that of antiquity is neither applicable nor appropriate.
A Failed Attempt to Explain Transsexualisum
When I first picked up "Changing Sex" I was looking forward to scholarly read on the interaction between transsexualism and intersexuality. I was astounded that author decided that all history of these conditions before 20th Century was irrelevant and not reviewed. With no such history, she creates a beautifully crafted case that that condition transsexualism is a result of the 20th Century technology used to treat intersexed conditions. Her conclusion is people want sex change because they can get one. Therefor, she concludes that sex change surgery for transsexuals is inappropriate. No Book is Completely Useless but Some Come Close
This is one of the first books I read on Transsexualism and, fortunately, I did find other books which were far more useful.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Gender Studies    3. Gender identity    4. History    5. Sex change    6. Social aspects    7. Sociology    8. Transsexualism    9. Gay & Lesbian studies    10. Transsexuals   

Reviews (1)

A STUNNING LIFE OF CONTRASTS
Dawn Langley Simmons life story in this incredible autobiography is one full of contrasts. Born and identified as a boy and named Gordon in Britain,she eventually was able to have the necessary surgery in America to become the woman she was intended to be. As a writer Gordon emigrated to America and mixed with the rich and famous and the upper echeleons of society. He became very wealthy in his own right and from a legacy left to him. He was able to buy an historic house in Charleston and have the surgery required to become a woman. Dawn then met and married a poor black man,and faced a future of racism and abuse from the community, eventually having to leave Charleston and after many shifts becoming very poor herself and joining the black community of her husband. She gives birth to a daughter and is now a grandmother. But her husband can be described as a scoundrel,having had affairs,almost killing Dawn with his abuse and then being diagnosed with schitzophrenia. The ! fact that Dawn could be so forgiving is a testament to her strength and character. I first read about Dawn in a magazine in 1997 and spent a very long time tracking down this book,eventually getting it from Amazon.com. Reading of Dawn's British roots in Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells was so neat as all of my relatives come from that part of the world too,so the places she mentioned I was able to picture in my mind. This book is a very good story of an incredible life of unbelievable contrasts. How many people could cope with what Dawn has been through and come out such a lovely person. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, American    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Charleston    7. Interracial marriage    8. Simmons, Dawn Langley    9. South Carolina    10. Specific Groups - Male Gay Studies    11. Transsexuals    12. Biography & Autobiography / Women    13. Biography: general    14. Gender studies   

Subjects:  1. Bible    2. Bisexual    3. Christianity    4. Gay    5. Homosexuality    6. Lesbian    7. Transgender   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Gender Studies    2. Human Sexuality    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. Aspect social    6. Female-to-male transsexuals    7. Gender identity    8. Identite    9. Identite sexuelle    10. Psychology/Human Sexuality    11. Social Science / Gender Studies    12. Social aspects    13. Transsexualism    14. Transsexualisme    15. Transsexuels   

Reviews (4)

Good background reading - Lots of answers
This book sets out to answer the questions that transsexuals and their entourage often pose. The answers are based on fact, but occasionaly biased to the authors opinions. I found it an interesting book. It opens even morequestions than it answers, but that's life. Would I give it away whencoming out - No, but I'd have a copy to lend it out!!! A basic introduction to transgender issues
This book is a good introductory text - covers most of the main issues in a "once-over-lightly" way. I found the lack of depth frustrating but would have loved to have read this book five years ago.

This book is fascinating.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to find out more about transsexualism. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Sexual Behavior    2. Gay Studies    3. Gender Studies    4. Health/Fitness    5. Miscellanea    6. Psychology    7. Sex change    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Transsexualism    11. Transsexuals    12. Sex & sexuality   

Reviews (3)

Personal Stories from Christian Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Transgender People
I think this is a great book for anyone who wants to expand their understanding of those who are any of the above. It is so easy for those of us not in this situation to misunderstand and even to have very negative beliefs about any of these people.To hear their own individual stories in a non-judgemental way is to open all of us to greater acceptance and love.

We need more books like this!
This book was given to me as a gift, as I am a Christian who is gay. And what a gift! This book is a collection of short faith stories by Christian men and women who are gay and love God. Contrary to one popular Christian belief-system, having a homosexual orientation and serving the Lord God are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and this book helps to dispel this view. The many different folks in this book write honestly about what they have been through in their journeys, often saying that they have been hurt by other people but loved by Jesus. It's a gentle, heart-warming book!

From Wounded Hearts
This is the second printing of this ground breaking collection of stories from 49 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people of faith.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gay Studies    2. Gender Studies    3. Lesbian Studies    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Religion    7. Christianity - Christian Life    8. Bisexuals    9. Transsexuals    10. Christian gays    11. Religious life   

Reviews (1)

Essential reading for the queer community.
Body image has always been a hot topic in the queer community, but has never been expressed so eloquently as in this book.Looking Queer is packed with first person accounts of all sorts of body image issues: fromlesbians with eating disorders who are shunned from the lesbian communityfor being so body-oriented, to disabled gay men who can't find a place inthe image-conscious gay dating scene, to transsexuals recounting thejourney they've been through to get to where they are now, to intergenderedpeople who proudly refer to themselves as "mythical creatures." Every single story in this anthology touched me deeply.In thisincreasingly lookist world, this book is a must-read of the first degree. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Body image in women    2. Gay Studies    3. Gender Studies    4. Identity    5. Lesbian Studies    6. Lesbians    7. Self-esteem in women    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. United States    11. Anthropology    12. Gay & Lesbian studies   

Reviews (3)

Powerful, amazing, crafted, real
This is the real stuff here. Amazing content, rendered in powerful, crafted, beautiful language. From structure to line to word, this is a stunning, remarkable collection. My hat is off.

nothing spectacular
This book claims to have an interesting premise, and I quote from the back, "This elegant and moving collection grew out of Hilda Raz's experience with her son's journey to a transgender identity." And while she does touch on it in several poems, she leaves so much of this unmined. I didn't find any of the poems in the book to be particularly outstanding, and as a whole the collection was rather weak, though it did have some highlights. It starts with a great poem by Rilke. Tough to live up to, and she does not. You get a couple of good lines and stanzas here and there, but there are so many really good collections of poetry out there, that you can safely avoid this one.

Beautifully crafted!
This beautifully crafted series of poems explores the meanings of 'trans', from the author's experiences with breast cancer to her adult child's female-to-male transition. Loss, movement, and processes of forging new understanding are important themes. The volume is organized into sections, each of which begins with a dictionary definition of the prefix 'trans-'. Raz is one of theUnited States' most important contemporary poets and editors of poetry, so it is no surprise that she handles these issues with such dexterity in this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Gender identity    3. Mother and child    4. Poetry    5. Transsexuals    6. Poetry & poets: from c 1900 -    7. Poetry / General   

Subjects:  1. Christian gays    2. Christianity    3. Christianity - Christian Life - General    4. Counseling    5. Gay Studies    6. Homosexuality    7. Institutions & Organizations    8. Religion    9. Religion - Church Life & Growth    10. Religious aspects    11. Sex (Theology)   

Reviews (1)

A Contributor To The Text
I responded to a request for submissions and as a result am included within this text (pp. 62-64, "The Phoenix Will Fly").My personal identity is that of an FTM (female to male transsexual).
Read more

Subjects:  1. Christian transsexuals    2. Christianity    3. Christianity - Christian Life - General    4. Religion    5. Religion - Socialissues    6. Religious aspects    7. Religious life    8. Sexuality & Gender Studies    9. Transsexualism   

Reviews (2)

Gendering as a Social Process
The term "male femaling" refers to one variant of "transgendering," wherein people adopt aspects of roles (as in appearances, interests, dispositions, and life-styles) associated with people of another gender. Although the topic of males endeavoring to "be female" in one or other respects is one that some people are apt to find disconcerting, this is a unique and valuable study of people's experiences in "gendering" or assuming roles as males and females. A long and difficult journey to finish...
This book is hard-core psychoanalysis stuff. If you are not a therapist, or buying this book for one, you may want to steer clear! I read, identified with, and enjoyed 'True Selves', but I found very little in thisbook to be considered new information. Other than a course lesson in"grounded theory", which I had no intention of recieving, thisbook was a snore-fest. I give it a good rating for it's quality as ateaching text, but again, steer clear if you are not into psychoanalyticthoeries.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gay Studies    2. Gender Studies    3. Sex role    4. Sexual Disorders    5. Social psychology    6. Sociology    7. Transsexualism    8. Transvestism    9. Sexual behaviour    10. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Subjects:  1. Health/Fitness    2. Mental Disorders    3. Mental Illness    4. Mental health    5. Psychology Of Sexuality    6. Sex change    7. Transsexuals    8. Unassigned Title    9. Clinical psychology    10. Sexual behaviour   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Japan    2. Gender Studies    3. Gender identity    4. General    5. History    6. History: World    7. Homosexuality    8. Japan    9. Transsexualism    10. History / Japan    11. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. Alternative Sexual Behavior    2. Gay Studies    3. Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction    4. Gerontology    5. Human Sexuality    6. Psychology    7. Social Science    8. Transsexualism    9. Transvestism    10. Sexual behaviour    11. Social research & statistics    12. Transsexuals   

Reviews (1)

Wow!
I could not put this book down.I live just outside of Houston and the history of the city included along with the history of this crime was just incredible.This is one of those bizzare stories that pretty much defiesdescription, but amazingly enough, it's all true!I have actually metLeslie Perez in passing, and the author has really captured her (and hermother) here.Entertaining (and scary) for everyone but those from Houstonwill especially appreciate it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Capital Punishment    5. Criminals    6. Gender Studies    7. General    8. Infamous Crimes And Criminals    9. Sex change    10. Transsexuals    11. United States    12. Perez, Leslie Elaine   

Reviews (3)

A Must Have for those who are or think they are Transsexual
This book should be considered an essential read for anyone who is transsexual or thinks that they may be. It gives straight forward concise information for both the M2F and the F2M individual. Dr. Kirk, herself a TS person, writes with unbiased and up-to-date accuracy, touching on virtually every area a transperson must consider as they start their journey. On a personal note, it is considered a fundamental resource by the therapist (and all who have read it) in the gender-identity group I am involved in and for good reason; short of spending hours and hours searching the web there are few places where you will find more pertinent information on our journey than between these two covers.

A bible for the TS person
This book is an excellent guide for both the pre and post operative transgendered person, both F-M and M-F.I carried my book everywhere I went for years, even after the operation. Carry it as a guide (BIBLE) untilfully comfortable with yourself.God Bless you and the best of luck!

excellentbook for the pre-op or post-op transsexual
Book covers all aspects of transsexuality from what constitutes transsexuality to procedures for changing ones name, social aspects, and medical information. What impressed me was the book did not stop with information leading to surgery but also discussed SRS surgery itself and potential complications. Post operative care and concerns were also addressed. A must for those planning to undergo SRS. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gender identity    2. Sex Hormones    3. Sex change    4. Transsexualism    5. Transsexuality    6. Transsexuals    7. Transvestism    8. Transvestites   

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - History & Criticism    3. Gender Studies    4. Internet pornography    5. Performing Arts    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Transsexuals in motion pictures    8. Transvestism in motion pictures    9. Films, cinema    10. Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism    11. Postmodernism    12. Transsexuals   

Subjects:  1. Self-Help / Abuse    2. Social Science    3. Social Science / Gay Studies    4. Social Science / Lesbian Studies    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - General    7. Abuse    8. Bisexuals    9. Gay Studies    10. Lesbian Studies    11. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    12. Regina Sewell    13. Self-Help    14. Transsexuals   

Subjects:  1. Bisexuals    2. Gay Studies    3. Gay rights    4. Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction    5. Gays    6. Government policy    7. Lesbian Studies    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Public Policy - General    10. Social Science    11. United States