Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words

Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words is a nonfiction anthology of poems, stories, art, and essays written by transgender youth. These stories were collected and curated through a series of facilitated workshops, hosted by Dr. Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry, where young transgender people were provided with mentors to help them transform their ideas into the beautifully constructed pieces that make up this collection. Herriot and Fry write: “Recognizing how cisgender adults tend to do most of the talking about trans youth, we wondered how we might help trans youth speak for themselves instead. The goal was not to ‘give’ trans youth a voice—they already have one—but rather to use our cis, adult privilege to make those voices louder.” (p. 1) The editors have also included numerous resources, such as reading lists, sources for further research, lists of helpful organizations for trans youth and families, and a glossary of terms written by author Tash McAdam.

In addition, various educators and researchers pose questions to readers and provide words of advice from their own experiences, both as trans individuals and as educators and/or activists. For instance, Dr. Jake Pyne of York University poses the following piece of advice:

Pay attention to how your trans or nonbinary friends and classmates describe their bodies and identities. Try to remember the words they use to describe themselves, and make sure you use the same words they do when you talk to or about them. It can mean a lot to your trans friends and classmates to know what someone gets them and someone cares. (p. 52)

The combination of these pieces of advice, alongside the poems, essays, and art by trans youth, makes for both an appealing format but also a back-and-forth intergenerational conversation exploring what life is like now, what it could be like, and how to improve things for those suffering from prejudice, bullying, mental health issues, lack of access to medical resources, etc.

But not all of these stories are about trauma, as so many resources for trans youth and allies tend to be up to this point. As the editors note in their introduction, “Some of these stories might feel heavy, while others are lighthearted or even a bit silly. Some of them might introduce you to ideas you’ve never thought about before, while others might feel all too familiar. Some might even do all of the above!” This variety truly makes this anthology stand out in the market and will help it to stand out on bookshelves as well. These narratives are enlightening, heartbreaking, hopeful, haunting, raw, and real, and, all together, they create an overarching narrative that will be beneficial to young people and adults alike, and it is also a fantastic resource for parents, educators, and allies everywhere. Split up into sections, materials throughout the book address seven main areas: Childhood, Families, Bodies, Everyday Life, Schools, Mental Health, and Acceptance.

Although the anthology is eclectic and the materials range in levels of interest from young readers to adult allies, it is this eclecticism that makes the book appealing to multiple audiences. It also makes it a book that, while not necessarily something to be read from cover to cover as a traditional novel, has narratives and resources for many contexts, from classrooms to homes to public libraries. Teachers can use excerpts, parents can have it on hand as a resource, and teens can read it to see that they are not alone and that there are people looking out for them and working to amplify their stories and voices to make a safer and more inclusive world for them.

In Growing Up Trans, Dr. Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry have worked with a whole host of young people, educational professionals, authors, and artists, to create a truly innovative, inclusive, and thoughtful resource that helps young trans people to have their voices heard.

Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words is not only important; it is essential.