Talking About the “T” in LGBT Literature

Hi, Welcome to my Tuesday short blog post.

Let’s talk about transgender lit. I’ve read some wonderful books in this LGBT area, and this year there seem to be quite a few good ones adding to the genre. I have a few I’ve read and would like to recommend.

But first, what do we mean by transgender literature?

Lambda Literary defines transgender fiction as “novels, novellas, short story collections, and anthologies with prominent bisexual/transgender characters and/or content of strong significance to the bisexual/transgender communities. May include historical novels, graphic novels, cross-genre works of fiction, humor, and other styles of fiction.”

Lambda considers transgender nonfiction as “non-academic, non-fiction works with content of strong significance to members of the transgender community. Includes a wide range of subjects for the general reader (e.g., history, memoirs, public policy, law, politics, poetry, community organizations, humor, spirituality, parenting, religion, spirituality, relationships, travel).

Here are a few gems in transgender fiction:

1. Catherine Ryan Hyde’s Jump Start the World was chosen for the American Library Association's Rainbow list, and was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. It also won first and second place in two categories of the Rainbow Awards.

Here’s a little about Jump Start the World:

“When Elle meets Frank, the guy who lives next door, she can’t stop thinking about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s gentle. And Elle is falling for him, hard. But Frank is different in a way that Elle was never prepared for: he’s transgender. And when Elle learns the truth, her world is turned upside down.”

2. Sally Bosco’s Cevin’s Deadly Sin is a finalist for the 2014 Rainbow Awards in transgender fiction.

“Cevin’s Deadly Sin is the story of a hetero, teen cross-dresser: his struggles with first love, self-identity and bullying during his senior year in a small, Florida town. When Cevin finds the one person who can accept him for himself, he has to figure out how to deal with her bully brother and make peace with his identity in order to save his own life.”

Now for a few recommendations in transgender nonfiction:

Both of the following books are 2014 Rainbow Award Finalists: Queerly Beloved: A Love Story Across Genders by Diane & Jacob Anderson-Minshall and An Unspoken Compromise by Rizi Xavier Timane

Here’s a short synopsis of Queerly Beloved: A Love Story Across Genders :

“Imagine if, after fifteen years as a lesbian couple, your partner turned to you and said, “I think I’m really a man.” For the authors of Queerly Beloved, this isn’t a hypothetical question. It’s what really happened. Eight years later, the couple not only remains together, they still identify as queer, still work in LGBT media, and remain part of the LGBT community. How did their relationship survive a gender transition?”

And a synopsis of An Unspoken Compromise :

“An Unspoken Compromise is the story of a Nigerian-born transgender minister and certified grief recovery specialist. He grew up in an extremely religious Christian home and was subjected to multiple exorcisms and other reparative attempts by his family and the church to “pray the gay away.” The book takes you through his journey of self-discovery and spiritual exploration coming out as a lesbian and later making the transition to a male.”

Q: How about you? Have you read any books in transgender lit you’d like to recommend to our readers?


Until next week then.

The best is yet to come.

Paul