Trans* Lives in the United States: Challenges of Transition and Beyond

Being and becoming trans* is a complex and varied experience whether an individual is living openly as trans* or not. Few published studies in either the academic or popular press illuminate the challenges of living as a trans* person after medical and social transition are complete. Trans* Lives in the United States builds upon earlier research and contributes a much-needed theoretically grounded empirical study that examines the hurdles from transition to the end of life by employing an intersectional analytical frame. The analysis pays careful attention to the role of class inequality, and draws on critical race studies, sexuality studies, and feminist studies. Drawing upon thirty face-to-face interviews, it privileges the experiences and voices of trans* individuals from a wide range of racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds. Moving beyond earlier studies that ended with an analysis of the moment of identity transition, this text provides a more nuanced understanding of the complex negotiations that individuals who self-identify as trans* endure.