Thoughtfully written book on the rising anti-trans political tensions and finding joy and belonging as a trans person in spite of it all.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This anthology consists of a variety of stories that depict the experiences of trans and genderqueer individuals from diverse backgrounds.

The book is an embodiment of vulnerability, and there were numerous instances that infuriated and saddened me. As a genderqueer person, I felt a deep connection with some of these stories.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, particularly those who do not extend their support to the community or individuals who are not white, cis, or straight.

Trans people are human. We deserve to live and thrive in the world. We deserve to love and be who we are and not deal with transphobia on a daily basis both in personal situations and online.

An insightful book that should be on everyone's shelves or library. 5

It's hard to put my thoughts together in a way that encompasses the importance of all of these author's views and essays. As a genderqueer individual myself, I have strong feelings about the themes discussed, (and thus these essays mean a great deal to me.) and have taken to heart a great deal of the wisdom from these authors who all feel invaluable to our community.

This collection of essays has,
1: Shone a light on some amazing individuals in the LGBT+ and trans community. (I have more sources than ever to learn about LGBT+ persons.)

2: Given me some more wisdom about the world and how to view my own gender.

And I think this collection of essays is invaluable to trans and cis people alike.

A good selection of essays dealing with surviving and thriving despite the outright, the insidious, and the state-sponsored transphobia consuming the US today.
Heart-breaking at times and uplifting at others.

As a member of the LGBTQ community, and one who has transgender members of my family alongside being non binary myself? I knew before even opening this book that I would be facing moments of anger, sadness, and joy. Surviving Transphobia was a necessary book that would drag me through various emotions, and I wasn't wrong.This book is a reminder to all that being transgender is a for from new thing, and as many banners seen at protests 'We have always been here, and always will be.' The reader encounters both transgender men and women who have been in the military along with other areas of employment, and their tales are incredibly inciteful. I cried several times as these wonderful people opened their hearts and spoke of the internal torment one must face when processing and accepting the often hard reality that the body we see in the mirror isn't the one we know with all that we are; is wrong. How society judges them and how sometimes those we regard as close friends become distant as we grow into our true selves, whether that be with surgery or social transition. Transphobia is horrific to experience and to witness being directed at those you love. It is drawn from true hatred and misinformation spread by those who refuse to believe what is said to them and I wish in 2023 it didn't exist nor that I was seeing it grow but I believe truly that books like this can remind you, that you can get through each cruel shout, or threat to your life.. because transgender people have, as I have said, always existed, and we belong here just as those who are certain their body is correct do too. Alongside these hard moments in their recollections, there are also tales of joy, acceptance, and growth both for the transgender person and those around them. Their relief and happiness are tangible, and I laughed alongside these people whose words truly affected me as I felt their peace come through the page.

Being transgender or non binary, is a hard journey - it can break you but Surviving Transphobia shows you that you can survive the cruelty, the misinformation and the agony of how strangers can try to make you invisible. It is a wonderful book, it will make your heart ache through sorrow and joy.

If you're feeling alone, this book will remind you that it's not true. All of us matter equally, and each of us deserve to smile and be loved.

I can't overstate the importance of this book. It's a collection of real experiences, written by real people who aren't cis, and compiled by someone who is also part of the community. If we're ever to take steps forward, and fight the waves of transphobia sweeping across the US, then people need to read this book among other resources. If you're looking for a collection of upbeat, hopeful, sunshine and roses stories, then this isn't what you're looking for. If you want unapologetically real, raw experiences, then you've found the perfect collection. I really hope that this inspires change, and gives strength to those who need it, as they experience many of the same things shared in this book.

Surviving Transphobia is a book that everyone needs to read. Whether it’s to understand more about how you misgendering or not believing someone will actually effect them; to those who are on their trans journey and need some information and guidance in how to deal with the unfortunate hate some of society will give them.

A book you can reread and always find something new to think about.

As someone who is trans, Surviving Transphobia was an eye opening, deeply personal and resonating experience; at times difficult but still spiritually resonating. This book is something I plan to return to and will recommend it to the cisgender people in my life.

Laura Jacobs, herself a transgender person, approached a wide range of people she had worked with, or networked with, or were recommended by others, to put this book together. Each person tells their own, very personal, experiences of being transgender.

I could not read more than two of these accounts in any one sitting. They are so raw, so well documented, so human. Some of them are extraordinarily beautifully written. It was an emotional roller coaster.

I don’t understand why people hate so much. I don’t understand why people hate perfectly nice people who just happen to have (or choose) a different look, or different lifestyle. The refugee from Argentina’s dictatorship who found America so abominably different from the haven and luxury she expected — that I understand.

But whether I understand or not, that is the reality of the current USA, and a warning to the rest of us. Right-wing policies are growing, across the globe.

If you, like me, have very little knowledge of the LGBTQ++ world, this will open your eyes. One or two of them will explain in horrible detail some things that you may find useful if you are an author, but are otherwise, well, extreme. It will also show you that these transgender people are, above all, people. They have hopes, dreams, aspirations just like mine. Most of the people in the world want much the same thing. It’s how we get manipulated by those who want control.

I want to thank Laura Jacobs and all those brave enough to stand up and tell their stories, and to come forward to fight for the rights of others. This is an important book. It will hopefully help many trans people stuck in an isolated situation, to know they are not alone. But nobody who hates will read it.

I really enjoyed getting to read this story during this era of trans hate as a trans person who works in community organizing. It was really hopeful and taught me some important historical wins that haven’t been spoken of much. Also got a bunch of new role models for my own community work!

This is a brilliant anthology containing authors from different walks of life. It speaks about intersectionality’s and each chapter takes you on a different journey. Many of them go to dark places, so I’d advise people to read through some trigger warnings before picking this one up. It did inspire hope and showed how things can be tough, they may even be even tougher, but trans people will always survive.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eArc

In a time when the transgender community has been targeted as the new issue for politicians and bigots all around the world, Laura A. Jacobs's collected essay around transgender life and experience is a welcome salve. As she points out in her introduction, the "transgender non-binary community are under siege."

These essays give voice to people who just want to live their lives, and they are being attacked for being themselves. There are essays covering the transgender experience, transgender history, legal issues, medical treatment, safety issues, as well as transgender/non-binary people learning to love themselves.

I'm not a trans person, but this book spoke to me. It showed me how much ignorance there is in the world surrounding the transgender community, and this book is the perfect antidote to that. It showed the transgender community as wonderful and complicated just like life and everyone in this world.

Surviving Transphobia by Laura A. Jacobs is a breath taking anthology of trans experiences. Every chapter follows a new person and the story they tell about their gender identity within their life. The people focused on in the book come from different walks of life. They all have separate goals, experiences, and struggles. The chapters are a good reminder of where trans people have come from and how far they will continue to go even with the current political climate. There is survival even in the hardest of situations. This book is especially good for those who are struggling with the attack on trans rights that is going on at the moment and who are afraid of what will happen next.

I found the writing to be exceptionally good in some of the chapters and a little slow in others, but that is just the way of an anthology written by multiple people. The author who organizes this does a lovely job setting up who will be speaking in the chapter and telling us about them. I found the book easy to read in the way of writing although some of the topics discussed could get quite dark. Please remember to heed the warnings at the beginning because some of the topics discussed could be triggering to you. The footnotes at the bottom of the pages does a great job helping explaining some of the terms or ideas that might not be familiar to the reader. There is also a great endnote of sources that the writers used in their chapters.

This is an ACR of a book coming out on the 21st of September 2023 courtesy of NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher.

The curator of the book, Laura A. Jacobs is psychotherapist, activist, and author specializing in trans, transgender, gender nonconforming… any gender identity and sexual expression under the sun. She’s a trans-woman herself – which makes her contribution and insight even more impactful.

This book is an anthology by transgender women, transgender men, and people non-binary or genderqueer who are coming from a lot of backgrounds, and that the author has personally encountered.

That being said, and knowing the purpose of the book, the author still wants to specify in her forewards that

this is also a book for allies, and those who provide empathetic support. It is even for people uncertain about transgender rights.

Again: I had other expectations for this book – I hoped to see some positivity. It doesn’t fail to delivere the expectations, in a way. Sharing their story of survival, these ordinary and extraordinary people highlight the resilience of their community, go beyond fears and doubts, and against the uncertainty of what America has become.

This collection of people’s life experiences is honest, often tough, and always “unapologetically political“. After the 2016 American election things looked dim, and unfortunately rightfully so. We don’t just need to hope, but we need to work hard for things to change again for the better, always improving our society and the sense of security and right to exist every being should experience and be granted.

Surviving Transphobia is a book about how different people have experienced their gender identity journeys, and consists of short essays from lots of different kinds of trans people, all about how they figured out they were trans, what it means for them, and how others around them accepted or rejected them for it. This is a topic close to my heart, and I felt that it was approached very carefully, and the various inputs allowed for the book to feel like a discussion on what it means to be trans. I think this book is a very important one, and I would definitely recommend this to trans people and allies, or anyone looking to learn more about being transgender.

This is a supper important book that tackles and explores through the more frustrating aspects of having to navigate out in the world as a trans person. Reading al these various types of stories and some cases advice on how to handle the transphobia was something very important that is most definitely need in a time of civil unrest with both societial and interpersonal oppression that people face as trans people.