About the Book

Joanne Herman, a transgender woman who read everything in sight to understand her own gender incongruity, has been helping others with her non-complicated explanations of transgender for almost a decade. Now she has written down her explanations for all to read in Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not. Organized by topic into short, easy-to-read chapters, Transgender Explained is perfect for parents, relatives, colleagues, friends, allies and even journalists who want to quickly get up to speed on what it means to be transgender.

What Others Are Saying

Bay Area Reporter: "Trans Author Hopes Book Will Help Others"

"I highly recommend Joanne Herman's new book, Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not. It is the equivalent to sitting down with your friend or neighbor for coffee and discussing the topic of transgender comfortably with them. Easy reading yet thorough, this inexpensive little book covers most of the major, immediate questions in the Primer section, then adds some thoughts about more advanced topics in the segment named - appropriately - "Advanced Topics." For the parent of a transgender child - of any age - one of the most difficult aspects of learning their child is transgender is coming out to their families, coworkers, fellow parishioners, and friends. Ms. Herman's book will be a great asset to these parents, as well as an excellent introduction to the subject for those who read it. If you are such a parent, buy several copies to hand out to your questioing friends." - David Parker of PFLAG's Transgender Network (TNET), a national parents' support group

"It still takes a great deal of skill to transmit wisdom to a wide audience in an engaging style, and Joanne has been able to pull it off beautifully ... a primer, written in an elegant yet clear prose, one which is not dumbed down but engages people on a mature level. We often slight those who transition along with us - spouse, parents, children, neighbors and friends, colleagues - which is very unfortunate and needs to be rectified. Joanne's book goes a very long way to correcting that lack, and I thank her for it." - Dana Beyer, MD

"Medical training leaves most woefully unprepared to understand the complexities of the lives of gender minorities. I certainly found this to be true myself. Joanne Herman has a great deal to teach us in her book. Hearing her personal reflections opens the door to truly being able to understand those you care for, and how best to care for them. Joanne's book is an invaluable resource." - Harvey J. Makadon MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Director of Professional Education, The Fenway Institute

"Whether in the classroom, boardroom, or dining hall, Joanne Herman is met with excitement, enthusiasm and gratitude for her keen ability to take us through the rich complexities of gender with skill, patience, wit, and wisdom." - Pamela Misener, M.Ed., Assistant Dean, Office of Pluralism and Leadership, Dartmouth College

"Joanne Herman is a one-woman panel! In these pages, she shares her perspectives as a business woman, activist, and church member who is transgender, providing a primer of basic facts, thought-provoking ideas, and helpful resources about gender-identity. Happily, she is able to translate her warm, open, in-person style to the written page. If she's speaking at a location near you, go-if not, this book is the next best thing!" - The Rev. Ms. Ann B. Day, Open and Affirming Program Coordinator, United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns (1987-2007)

About Author Joanne Herman

After almost half a century living as a male, Joanne Herman transitioned in 2002 to live as a female in order to resolve a gender incongruity she had felt for as long as she remembers. She has since been active as a spokeswoman for transgender awareness and understanding.

Joanne is the first transgender person ever elected the Boards of Directors of Fenway Health, Point Foundation, and GLAD. She is the first openly transgender member of the congregation of Old South Church in Boston (United Church of Christ), the same church where Benjamin Franklin was baptized and Samuel Adams served as a deacon. And she is one of the first openly transgender alumnae of Dartmouth College, as a graduate of the last all-male class. Dartmouth's then-President Jim Wright awarded her a Class of 1975 diploma in her new name in 2006.

Joanne holds a BA in Government and Economics from Dartmouth and an MS/MBA from Northeastern University. She is currently Financial Controller at New England Foundation for the Arts and lives in Boston with her fiancee, Theresa (Terry) Fallon. Joanne is also fluent in French and an avid bowler.

More:
Mutual Transformation from March/April 2007 Dartmouth College Alumni Magazine.
Speaker's bio.

Table of Contents

THE PRIMER
1. The Basics: What It Means to be Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming
2. Sub-Groups Under the Transgender Umbrella
3. Intersex
4. Prevalence: There Are More of Us Than You Think
5. "Stealth": Out of One Closet and Into Another
6. If it's Not a Mental Illness, Why is it Still in the DSM?
7. Common Procedures Male-to-Female
8. Common Procedures Female-to-Male
9. Transgender Children
10. Discrimination: "Transgender? You're Fired!"
11. Forced "Out": A Real ID Problem for Transgender People
12. Political Correctness: "Please Don't Call Me Tranny"
13. Corporate Acceptance
14. Transgender Success Stories

ADVANCED TOPICS
15. Gender Transition Regret
16. Is It Deception or Just Being Prudent?
17. Religion and Transgender People
18. Transgender People on the Small Screen
19. Sexism and Transgender People
20. Feminism and Transgender People
21. Transgender People and LGBT Board Involvement

MY STORY
22. How I Got Started Writing
23. Mutual Transformation: My Return to My All-Male College
24. My Faith Story
25. Reflections on Five Years in My New Life
26. On Family Acceptance
27. I'm Engaged!

RESOURCES
28. Ten Books I Recommend
29. Tips for Talking With a Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming Person
30. Web Resources

How to Purchase

Available in paperback from publisher AuthorHouse, on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, Borders.com, or at your local retailer.

Also available as an e-book from AuthorHouse.

Booksellers and libraries - order ISBN 978-1-4490-2957-9
- through Ingram's Books In Print database
- directly from the publisher at www.authorhouse.com
- through the book ordering hotline 1-800-280-7715.

Free Preview 1

Chapter 1 "The Basics: What It Means to be Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming"

In the next eight hundred or so words, I'll summarize the key things you need to know. I'll include references in the text where another chapter in my book provides more information on a particular topic. But if you read only one chapter, this is the one to read.

Let's start with terminology. Individuals with an alternate gender identity (how you feel) and/or gender expression (how you look and act) often get referred to as "transgender" for expediency.

Unfortunately, because of the stigma associated with any adjective beginning with "trans," many people affected by issues related to their gender identity or expression nonetheless deny being transgender. These people include the man or boy whose feminine behavior provokes catcalls or bullying, the masculine woman or girl who gets harassed when she uses the ladies' room, the gay individual who occasionally dresses in drag (in clothes of the opposite gender), and the intersex (Chapter 3) person born with any one of a number of conditions that make their anatomical sex inconsistent or ambiguous.

Those who are more classically included under the transgender umbrella (Chapter 2) include transsexuals who transition genders as I did, heterosexual cross-dressers who have an opposite gender presentation only part of the time, and genderqueer people who have a unique gender presentation all of the time.

Sexual orientation (who you love) has no relation to any of this. As an example, I am still attracted to women in my new life while my two best friends, also trans women, are now attracted to men. I am therefore gay but my friends are straight.

What is the prevalence (Chapter 4) of transgenderism and gender non-conformity? For many years, all we had to go on were the low numbers from the American Psychiatric Association dating from the decades-old beginnings of transgender understanding. But trans woman Prof. Lynn Conway, a brilliant computer scientist who developed technology used in most computers today, applied her analytical smarts a few years ago to come up with a better estimate: 1.5 percent of the population, or fifteen people per thousand in the population. Comparing with the Williams Institute's latest statistic for gay/lesbian prevalence, that's one person for every three gay/lesbian people.

If that seems too high, it could be because transgender people have been highly closeted in the past. Those who transitioned genders often chose to live "stealth" (Chapter 5) in their new gender-never admitting to being transgender-because of safety concerns, societal stigma, and prejudice. And as GenderPAC executive director, Riki Wilchins, observed in a 2008 Advocate.com commentary, even the gay rights movement previously forced gender-nonconforming gays into hiding to make the argument "that we are 'just like everyone else' except that we sleep with same-sex partners."

Part of the stigma about being trans comes from the fact that gender identity disorder is still in the American Psychiatric Association's catalog of mental disorders. Why hasn't it been removed given that homosexuality was removed in 1973? Because for those of us who need hormones and surgery to feel authentic in our new genders, paternalistic medical guidelines (Chapter 6) still require a GID diagnosis. Some believe that the diagnosis enables doctors to provide treatment when they might fear accusations of malpractice without it.

Another source of the stigma is what I call MIDS: Man in a Dress Syndrome (Chapter 16). Women were essentially required thirty years ago to cross-dress-in masculine-looking skirt suits-to gain entrance into corporate America. But even today, when a man puts on the clothes of a woman, he is immediately presumed less capable. Sadly, this is not the only way in which overt sexism (Chapter 19) skews perceptions of transgender people.

Only 37 percent of Americans live in areas explicitly banning discrimination (Chapter 10) based on gender identity and expression according to the latest statistic from the National Center for Transgender Equality. In areas lacking protection, a simple no-match letter (Chapter 11) from the Social Security Administration stating that the gender in its database does not match the one you listed in your employment application can provoke your employer to fire you.

That's sad, because transgender people can be very capable employees. There are many success stories (Chapter 14). Fortunately, acceptance in corporate America (Chapter 13) is growing rapidly. The Corporate Equality Index of the Human Rights Campaign has registered stunning increases in the number of major U.S. businesses banning discrimination based on gender identity and expression. If there is such a groundswell of support, why then did lawmakers exclude gender identity and expression from the 2008 House bill (called ENDA) to outlaw employment discrimination?

The answer is that conservative religious activists have been busy learning everything about transgenderism and gender non-conformity so they can twist the facts and scare the lawmakers. Legislators need to know that trans issues are not a new ploy in the "homosexual agenda." Quite the contrary: Transgender people were visible in everyday life in the Bible (Chapter 17), along with evidence that Jesus wanted us included too.

Free Preview 2

From Chapter 15 "Gender Transition Regret"

... But the worriers need to look at the big picture. Any gender transition, whether it involves surgery or not, is a major life change. It impacts details of your daily life far beyond the wearing of a different wardrobe, especially if it includes the loss of ties to loved ones, loss of work, or the need to move. Transgender people respond to any major change just like the population at large does. Some navigate change with incredible resilience, many have their ups and downs, and a few are positively consumed by it.

Transitioning also makes you a member of a minority group, perhaps for the first time. Like racial and ethnic minorities, transgender people often cannot hide their "uniqueness" and as a result can face discrimination in employment, housing, education, and public accommodation. Of course, if you are a transgender person and a member of a racial or ethnic minority, expect your challenges to be compounded.

You also have a problem unique to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) minority group. That is, few (if any) members of your family share your minority status. In a racial or ethnic minority at least the family stands with you as a minority, while as an LGBT individual family solidarity is not assured. In fact, one or more family members may even become the most ardent "opponent(s)" of your transition, out of supposed love and concern for you. ...