This past weekend I had the pleasure of finishing up Redefining Realness by Janet Mock. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Mock’s story was beautiful and raw, unafraid and proud.
I will be the first to admit that I have not read enough literature by LGBTQ+ authors, and especially not enough by transgender authors. A sociology class I took called Gender in Society was about the most exposure I’ve gotten.
Most books that I have read and seen promoted on book instagrams and bestseller lists are often the works of White LGBTQ+ authors. Mock’s story stood out as the already-difficult journey of a transgender woman, amplified by the color of her skin. Her perspective is so important, and I wish stories like hers were more amplified.
Redefining Realness starts off during her childhood growing up in Hawaii. Throughout her teenage years, Mock works on embracing herself while also working through circumstances of unstable parental support, sexual assault, bullying, and sex work until she finally makes enough money to afford surgery. After her surgery, Mock faces a new set of challenges, including navigating old and new relationships, the dating scene, and moving across the country to New York City.
Mock’s story is one of resilience and empowerment. I learned so much from her journey, and opened my mind to some topics I was uninformed on. For example, I had no idea how many transgender women rely on sex work to literally just be able to be themselves fully. I had no idea that incarcerated trans women can be sent to male prisons. I was only vaguely aware of how much higher depression, suicide, substance abuse, and self-harm rates are for transgender individuals, among othe rmental health road blocks .
Attending a liberal arts college and living in a progressive state and town often gives me rose-colored glasses when it comes to social justice issues. It is a lot easier to think everything is okay when you aren’t dealing with it personally every single day. I will never understand what transgender individuals have to go through, especially under our current administration. There is so much that I could choose to be oblivious to as a straight, White, cis-female, which is why I think it’s so important to pay attention to and lift up stories like Mock’s.
As Mock said, “gay and lesbian people are increasingly becoming more accepted, whereas transgender people, especially tans women, are still stigmatized”. There is still a lot to be done about making sure trans lives, and right now especially Black trans lives, matter.
To hear Mock’s journey in finding and validating herself as a Black woman was so special. I learned so much from her, and I beyond-highly recommend this book.
xx, Lauren
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