Transgender Awareness Week Reading List
All book descriptions below have been provided by the books’ publishers.
Biography and Memoir
Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family
by Amy Ellis Nutt (Random House, 2016)
The inspiring true story of a transgender girl, her identical twin brother, and an ordinary American family’s extraordinary journey to understand, nurture, and celebrate the uniqueness in us all, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning science reporter for The Washington Post.
When Wayne and Kelly Maines adopted identical twin boys, they thought their lives were complete. But it wasn’t long before they noticed a marked difference between Jonas and his brother, Wyatt. Jonas preferred sports and trucks and many of the things little boys were “supposed” to like; but Wyatt liked princess dolls and dress-up and playing Little Mermaid. By the time the twins were toddlers, confusion over Wyatt’s insistence that he was female began to tear the family apart. In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept and embrace Wyatt’s transition to Nicole, and to undergo an emotionally wrenching transformation of their own that would change all their lives forever.
Becoming Nicole chronicles a journey that could have destroyed a family but instead brought it closer together. It’s the story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and acceptance, not ostracism and disapproval; of a Republican, Air Force veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to become a vocal advocate for trans rights; of a loving brother who bravely stuck up for his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its prejudices, a school compelled to rewrite its rules, and a courageous community of transgender activists determined to make their voices heard. Ultimately, Becoming Nicole is the story of an extraordinary girl who fought for the right to be herself.
Granted wide-ranging access to personal diaries, home videos, clinical journals, legal documents, medical records, and the Maineses themselves, Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this immersive account of an American family confronting an issue that is at the center of today’s cultural debate. Becoming Nicole will resonate with anyone who’s ever raised a child, felt at odds with society’s conventions and norms, or had to embrace life when it plays out unexpectedly. It’s a story of standing up for your beliefs and yourself—and it will inspire all of us to do the same.
Second Son: Transitioning Toward My Destiny, Love and Life
by Ryan K. Sallans (Scout Publishing, 2013)
Second Son is a unique lens on life and love, intimately exploring the transition experience of Ryan Sallans—born Kimberly Ann Sallans. Ride alongside Ryan’s transition from a child to a body-obsessed young woman with an eating disorder; from female to male, daughter to son, and finally a beloved partner to a cherished fiancee. Ryan candidly shares his struggle to find love and acceptance; a struggle that transcends through every layer of society. He nearly died from an extreme case of anorexia as an insecure female college student. The only thing that saved him was his inner spirit begging for a chance to live. Second Son chronicles Ryan’s battle with his family, his romantic partner, and his body. It is an unblinking focus on self-empowerment tracing Ryan’s evolution into manhood as he underwent gender reassignment surgeries. It took twenty-nine years for Ryan to find himself. Second Son is an intimate and honest autobiography that will educate and empower anyone journeying to find their own destiny, love, and life.
Faith, the Bible, and the Church
The Bible and the Transgender Experience: How Scripture Supports Gender Variance
by Linda Tatro Herzer (Pilgrim Press, 2016)
The Bible and the Transgender Experience explores:
whether or not God creates only two genders
what Jesus had to say about gender variance
various understandings of “the cross-dressing passage”
gender variant groups and individuals in scripture
the movement, within scripture itself, from the exclusion of gender variant people to their inclusion within the people of God
The author, a nontransgender pastor, spent three years serving a church where ten percent of the congregation identified as trans men, trans women, cross-dressers, or genderqueer. This motivated her to learn about gender variant people and put her in situations where her previous understanding of the Bible was greatly expanded.
In this scholarly, yet easy-to-read book, Herzer gives clear, insightful accounts of what she has learned.
A must read for all pastors, chaplains, counselors, and congregants, and for family and friends of transgender people, as well as for gender variant individuals seeking to find their stories in the biblical narrative, and desiring to know how scripture supports them.
A refreshing and much-needed contribution to the public debates about the rights of transgender people.
The Bible and the Transgender Experience includes the following resources:
"How to make your congregation or group trans friendly”: Practical suggestions from the author
Discussion guide: Thought-provoking questions that can be used with a book group or as part of a four- to five-week Bible study
What Does God Think? Transgender People and The Bible
by Cheryl B. Evans (2017)
Presented with the idea that her transgender child was "not of God," Cheryl B. Evans set out to see what God really thinks about transgender people. What does the Bible say? Why is there such a big divide among Christians? Why do some Christians insist there is no such thing as a transgender person while other Christians accept and affirm transgender people? And most importantly, what does God think? This LGBT Christian book takes the reader on a journey that is educational and highly revealing. What Does God Think? is an invitation to examine the scriptures and give consideration to the social, cultural, and scientific facts that impact what we believe, and the way we internally feel about transgender people.
Cheryl B. Evans handles this controversial topic with grace and compassion for people on both sides of this debate. If you have been struggling to understand how someone can be Christian and still accept and affirm transgender people then this book is for you. If you know someone who is struggling to accept a loved one who has come out as trans, this would be the perfect book to recommend. Are you ready to have this conversation?
Opinions vary widely on the topic of gender, and gender identity, and when you mix religion into the conversation it gets even more interesting. In this non-fiction book, Evans discusses these important social issues in a calm and nonthreatening way. Making this transgender affirming book an excellent resource for both Christians and non-Christians.
Trans-Gendered: Theology, Ministry, and Communities of Faith
by Justin Sabia-Tanis
“Rev. Dr. Justin Tanis is a creative queer theologian and activist with a wealth of pastoral experience. His classic, Transgender--Theology, Ministry and Communities of Faith, is now available again for faith communities and university students struggling to include trans-people. It is a primer for understanding the spiritual journeys of transgendered people, examining the biblical support for inclusion, and provides faith communities guidelines for hospitality. His notion of 'gender as a calling' is a creative theological proposal for all of us to recognize our own gender calling and the diverse callings of the marginalized. Tanis imaginatively uses the image of twilight space of dawn and dusk, in-between space occupied by trans-people. His theology impacted my own commitment to transgendered rights and inclusion. At this time of conservative religious targeting the advances of trans-gendered people, we need the prophetic theological voice of Justin Tanis' compassionate inclusion."
—Rev. Dr. Robert E. Shore-Goss, Queer Theologian and author of Jesus Acted
Outside the Lines: How Embracing Queerness Will Transform Your Faith
by Mihee Kim-Kort (Fortress Press, 2018)
Mihee Kim-Kort is a wife, a mom, and a Presbyterian minister. And she's queer. As she became aware of her queer sexuality, Mihee wondered what that meant for her spirituality. But instead of pushing her away from God, her queerness has brought her closer to Jesus and taught her how to love better.
In Outside the Lines, Mihee shows us how God, in Jesus, is oriented toward us in a queer and radical way. Through the life, work, and witness of Jesus, we see a God who loves us with a queer love. And our faith in that God becomes a queer spirituality--a spirituality that crashes through definitions and moves us outside of the categories of our making. Whenever we love ourselves and our neighbors with the boundary-breaking love of God, we live out this queer spirituality in the world.
With a captivating mix of personal story and biblical analysis, Outside the Lines shows us how each of our bodies fits into the body of Christ. Outside the lines and without exceptions.
Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and Why Christians Should Care
by Reverend Elizabeth Edman (Beacon Press, 2016)
LGBTQ people are a gift to the Church and have the potential to revitalize Christianity.
As an openly lesbian Episcopal priest and professional advocate for LGBTQ justice, the Reverend Elizabeth Edman has spent her career grappling with the core tenets of her faith. After deep reflection on her tradition, Edman is struck by the realization that her queer identity has taught her more about how to be a good Christian than the church.
In Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and Why Christians Should Care, Edman posits that Christianity, at its scriptural core, incessantly challenges its adherents to rupture false binaries, to “queer” lines that pit people against one another. Thus, Edman asserts that Christianity, far from being hostile to queer people, is itself inherently queer. Arguing from the heart of scripture, she reveals how queering Christianity—that is, disrupting simplistic ways of thinking about self and other—can illuminate contemporary Christian faith. Pushing well past the notion that “Christian love = tolerance,” Edman offers a bold alternative: the recognition that queer people can help Christians better understand their fundamental calling, and the creation of sacred space where LGBTQ Christians are seen as gifts to the church.
By bringing queer ethics and Christian theology into conversation, Edman also shows how the realities of queer life demand a lived response of high moral caliber—one that resonates with the ethical path laid down by Christianity. Lively and impassioned, Edman proposes that queer experience be celebrated as inherently valuable, ethically virtuous, and as illuminating the sacred.
A rich and nuanced exploration, Queer Virtue mines the depths of Christianity’s history, mission, and core theological premises to call all Christians to a more authentic and robust understanding of their faith.
“I am not saying that queer people are or must be Christian. I am saying that authentic Christianity is and must be queer.”
—Queer Virtue
Modern Kinship: A Queer Guide to Christian Marriage
by David and Constantino Khalaf (Westminster John Knox Press, 2018)
Same-sex marriage may be legal in America, but it's still far from the accepted norm, especially in Christian circles. So where can LBGTQ Christians who desire a lifelong, covenantal relationship look for dating and marriage advice when Christian relationship guides have not only simply ignored but actively excluded same-sex couples?
David and Constantino Khalaf struggled to find relational role models and guidance throughout dating, their engagement, and the early months of their marriage. To fill this void, they began writing Modern Kinship, a blog exploring the unique challenges queer couples face on the road from singleness to marital bliss. Part personal reflection, part commentary, and full of practical advice, Modern Kinship explores the biblical concept of kinship from a twenty-first-century perspective. This important resource tackles subjects such as dating outside of smartphone apps, overcoming church and family issues, meeting your partner's parents, deciding when and how to have children, and finding your mission as a couple. Modern Kinship encourages queer Christian couples to build God-centered partnerships of trust and mutuality.
“The queer Christian community is moving past apologetics, beyond having to justify our sexuality to the church or defend our faith to our secular LGBTQ friends. For so long our community has been focused on the issue of acceptance that we have, perhaps, become shortsighted about what lies beyond it. That is what we seek to explore in this book; lives and relationships as they break free from a history of hostility and emerge into an era of acceptance.”
—Modern Kinship