Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Near the end of last school year I had a discussion with a student. I asked him if he was "transitioning" and how things were going for him at the school. The relief on this student's face was palpable when I used the word "transitioning". He asked me how I knew and I explained my confusion over which pronoun to use and another student had set me straight. We went on to discuss how difficult things were for him at the school Since he is still female as far as the district is concerned he has to use the female restroom. This has caused several problems over the year by girls who name-called and taunted him. My heart went out to him, so young and so vulnerable. I made myself a vow to get more resources in the library for transgender or questioning students.

When I saw Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out written and photographed by Susan Kuklin it was obviously one of those resources we needed in our library.

Here is description of the book from the publisher:

A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens. Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves.

 Obviously it will appeal to a very small segment of our school population but it will fill a big void in my the libraries information. It was a quick read, taking me less than two hours to consume. I suggest that all public and most high school libraries should stock this book.