True Selves, by Mildred L. Browne & Chloe Ann Rounsley, is a book I would highly recommend to any transsexual who has had trouble finding information or telling loved ones about their condition. It was written for use as a tool to educate people who are ignorant about transsexualism, i.e. family, friends, co-workers and helping professionals. It is a very comprehensive guide to every aspect of a transsexual's life, from childhood all the way through transition and surgery. This book is written by Dr. Mildred L. Browne, Ph.D., a clinical sexologist, with the help of Chloe Anne Rounsley, a journalist, both from San Francisco. Dr. Browne has worked with Transsexual patients for quite a few years, and used the words, stories, and feelings of her patients convey the information. This makes it much more personal and real, thus making it easier to read and accept as truth.
The book starts off with a general definition of transsexualism and goes on to describe what transsexuals are not by describing every gender variant label, i.e. intersexed, transvestite, homosexual, drag queens, she-males, female impersonators or gender benders, in precise detail, thus trying to dispel any preconceived notion that transsexualism has anything to do with a sexual fetish or rebellious nature. Though there is no real concrete answer as to why transsexualism occurs, Dr. Browne tries her best to give all the known theories and tell us that "we don't really know for sure,"(22) because "there is no agreement on any single determinant or trigger."(22)
The book them moves onto the childhood years. It talks about cross-dressing, fantasizing "about waking up in the morning as the 'right' sex,"(35) gender specific play, tomboys and sissies, and being picked on among other things. Throughout this section we read that transsexual children are no less innocent that non-transsexual children. But, as highlighted in this and a few other sections, most things said by the child are attributed to innocence and just brushed off or even laughed at.
The next chapter talks about the teen years. The biggest focus of this chapter is on puberty and the devastating effects it has on a transsexual's self-esteem. The negative body image and the disgust that transsexual teens go through is talked about in depth. The social chasm that most transsexuals experience is talked about as well. Junior high/middle school and High school are also discussed. The social pressures encountered, including trying to fit in, dating and suicide, are very well described through many a personal story that just makes the experience that more real.
The adult years are discussed in the next chapter. Everything from functioning in daily life to sex and intimacy is covered. This chapter deals with the every day social, psychological, and work problems transgender adults have before they search out a therapist. The chapters after this one deal with the adult life during and after therapy and treatment.
The next few chapters deal with the inner workings of gender therapy and transition. Every issue the transsexual would have is discussed as well as the ways that therapists, family, friends and co-workers deal with them. It also explains how the transsexual should deal with those reactions.
Medical and surgical options are also discussed in depth in the next to last chapter. An emphasis is placed in the fact that surgery is like the icing on the cake for most transsexuals. This is to specifically to dispel the myth that sexual reassignment surgery (SRS) will change everything.
The last chapter tries to dispel every rumor or myth that has ever been told or used against someone. Things such as, "It's just a whim," (213), "You must be crazy," (214) or, "How could you choose to do this?" (215) to name a few. This will most certainly help with the initial stages of the transition with family and friends.
I am sorry to say that I did not read the "real" last chapter which is full of poems written by transsexuals. I am really not all that in to poetry, so I just skipped it.
At the back of the book is a very helpful section of resources. Many large organizations, mostly west coast based, are listed with address and phone numbers for most. There are a few web addresses, but since this book was published in 1996, there were not many sites back then. There are many wonderful resources on the web today, and there are definitely other places to find those sites, but the ones listed in this book are a good start.
After reading this book, I found myself much more confident with myself and much more able to go through with my transition. This book will definitely be a wonderful tool for me to use with my family, friends and co-workers when I go deeper into my transition. As of now, I am not living as a female, but I would love to be able to start ASAP. I cannot stand living as a guy anymore. I heard about this book at just the right time. It gave me solace to know that I am not alone in the way I felt as a kid and that my feelings were "normal" for a transsexual kid. I had a hard time reading the parts about my childhood and teen years, since this book made me relive those tough times. It took me especially long to read the part about the teen years since I did not have the cheeriest of times. I was almost brought to tears since the stories in this book are so real and personal.
I can definitely picture my mom crying while reading this book. I think it will finally sink in when she realizes that I am not alone and that people actually go through this. This book "dumbs" transsexualism down to a level that anyone, even the most ignorant person, can understand. You need absolutely no knowledge of transsexualism to understand this book. For that reason, I think the information in this book will finally get through to her and possibly my dad. But, I might be living a pipe dream, because material like this does not work on everyone. The person you're using this on has to want to learn, to love, and understand you to be able to take in these facts as truth and eventually to understand.
I would definitely recommend this book to every and all transsexuals, before, during or after transition. It is a great resource, one of very few that have a wide circulation. If you have family, friends, co-workers, or an inexperienced therapist (Not everyone is able to find a true gender therapist), that either do not understand, might not want to understand, or have the wrong information, this book is perfect.
Written by Julia
To buy True Selves, click here to go to AMAZON.COM.
