During our panel, a number of individuals came up. These folks are writers, directors, creators, performers, and trans or nonbinary!
E-Books
Felix Ever After by Felix Love, a transgender seventeen-year-old, attempts to get revenge by catfishing his anonymous bully, but lands in a quasi-love triangle with his former enemy and his best friend.
I'm Afraid of Men by A trans artist explores how masculinity was imposed on her as a boy and continues to haunt her as a girl—and how we might reimagine gender for the twenty-first century. Vivek Shraya has reason to be afraid. Throughout her life she's endured acts of cruelty and aggression for being too feminine as a boy and not feminine enough as a girl. In order to survive childhood, she had to learn to convincingly perform masculinity. As an adult, she makes daily compromises to steel herself against everything from verbal attacks to heartbreak. Now, with raw honesty, Shraya delivers an important record of the cumulative damage caused by misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, releasing trauma from a body that has always refused to assimilate.
Pet by In a near-future society that claims to have gotten rid of all monstrous people, a creature emerges from a painting seventeen-year-old Jam's mother created, a hunter from another world seeking a real-life monster.
A + E 4ever by Asher Machnik is a teenage boy cursed with a beautiful androgynous face. Guys punch him, girls slag him and by high school he's developed an intense fear of being touched. Art remains his only escape from an otherwise emotionally empty life. Eulalie Mason is the lonely, tough-talking dyke from school who befriends Ash. The only one to see and accept all of his sides as a loner, a fellow artist and a best friend, she's starting to wonder if ash is ever going to see all of her.... a + e 4EVER is a graphic novel set in that ambiguous crossroads where love and friendship, boy and girl, straight and gay meet. It goes where few books have ventured, into genderqueer life, where affections aren't black and white. .--publisher.
All Out: the No-Longer-Secret Stories of Kick-Ass Queer Teens by "Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten."--Amazon.com
George by "When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all"
Beyond Magenta by 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.
The Witch Boy by "In thirteen-year-old Aster's family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn't shifted...and he's still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be. When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help -- as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family...and be truly himself."For Learning
Gender Queer: a Memoir by 
Black on Both SidesBlack on both sides : a racial history of trans identity by The story of Christine Jorgensen, Americas first prominent transsexual, famously narrated trans embodiment in the postwar era. Her celebrity, however, has obscured other mid-century trans narratives-ones lived by African Americans such as Lucy Hicks Anderson and James McHarris. Their erasure from trans history masks the profound ways race has figured prominently in the construction and representation of transgender subjects. C. Riley Snorton identifies multiple intersections between blackness and transness from the mid-nineteenth century to present-day anti-black and anti-trans legislation and violence. Drawing on a deep and varied archive of materials-early sexological texts, fugitive slave narratives, Afro-modernist literature, sensationalist journalism, Hollywood films-Snorton attends to how slavery and the production of racialized gender provided the foundations for an understanding of gender as mutable. In tracing the twinned genealogies of blackness and transness, Snorton follows multiple trajectories, from the medical experiments conducted on enslaved black women by J. Marion Sims, the father of American gynecology,to the negation of blackness that makes transnormativity possible. Revealing instances of personal sovereignty among blacks living in the antebellum North that were mapped in terms of cross dressing and canonical black literary works that express black mens access to the female within, he concludes with a reading of the fate of Phillip DeVine, who was murdered alongside Brandon Teena in 1993, a fact omitted from the film Boys Don't Cry out of narrative convenience.
Camp TV by Sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s are widely considered conformist in their depictions of gender roles and sexual attitudes. In 'Camp TV' Quinlan Miller offers a new account of the history of American television that explains what campy meant in practical sitcom terms in shows as iconic as 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' as well as in more obscure fare, such as 'The Ugliest Girl in Town'. Situating his analysis within the era's shifts in the television industry and the coalescence of straightness and whiteness that came with the decline of vaudevillian camp, Miller shows how the sitcoms of this era overflowed with important queer representation and gender nonconformity. Whether through regular supporting performances (Ann B. Davis's Schultzy in 'The Bob Cummings Show'), guest appearances by Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly, or scripted dialogue and situations, industry processes of casting and production routinely esteemed a camp aesthetic that renders all gender expression queer. By charting this unexpected history, Miller offers new ways of exploring how supposedly repressive popular media incubated queer, genderqueer, and transgender representations.
Transgender History by 
Trans/gressive by In the early 1990s, no one talked about transgender people, and no one knew one. We were not on TV or in movies. What formed the visible part of the transcommunity – overwhelmingly white, urban, and middle class – was also overwhelmingly focused on conferences, surgery or hormones, and cisgender acceptance.
Captive Genders by Pathologized, terrorized, and confined, trans/gender-non-conforming and queer folks have always struggled against the enormity of the prison industrial complex. The first collection of its kind, Eric A. Stanley and Nat Smith bring together current and former prisoners, activists, and academics to offer new ways for understanding how race, gender, ability, and sexuality are lived under the crushing weight of captivity. Through a politic of gender self-determination, this collection argues that trans/queer liberation and prison abolition must be grown together. From rioting against police violence and critiquing hate crimes legislation, to prisoners demanding access to HIV medications, and far beyond, Captive Genders is a challenge for us all to join the struggle.
Born Both by Hida Viloria was raised as a girl but discovered early on that he/r body was different. Unlike most people who are born intersex in the first world--meaning they have genitals, reproductive organs, hormones, and/or chromosomal patterns that do not fit standard definitions of male or female--Hida had the freedom to explore the person s/he was born to be because he/r parents did not agree to have he/r sex characteristics surgically altered at birth.It wasn't until s/he was twenty-six and encountered the term intersex in a San Francisco newspaper that s/he finally had a name for he/r difference. That's when s/he began to explore what it means to live in the space between genders--to be both and neither. As s/he began to reach out to others like he/r, however, Hida discovered that most intersex people had been scarred, both physically and psychologically, by infant surgeries and hormone treatments meant to "correct" their bodies. Eager to help end this practice, Hida came out as intersex at a national and then international level.By answering the question "Are you a boy or a girl?" with "I'm both," Hida's helped blaze a trail for people--particularly intersex and genderqueer/non-binary people--to celebrate the middle space where male and female are not separate and opposite but entwined. Born Both is an intimate and powerful account of Hida's search for authentic identity and love in a world that insists on categorizing people into either/or.
Gender : a graphic guide by The creators of a groundbreaking book on sex offer an illustrated journey of gender exploration that delves into complex and shifting ideas about masculinity and femininity through examining non-binary and fluid genders. Original. Illustrations.
First Year Out by Based on the author's own personal experiences and those of her friends, this intimate and striking graphic novel follows transgender woman Lily, as she transitions to her true self. Depicting her experiences from coming out right through to gender reassignment surgery, Lily's story provides vital advice on the social, emotional and medical aspects of transitioning and will empower anyone questioning their gender.
A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities by 
Tomorrow Will Be Different by "A captivating memoir that will change the way we look at identity and equality in this country. Before she became the first transgender person to speak at a national political convention in 2016 at the age of twenty-six, Sarah McBride struggled with the decision to come out--not just to her family but to the students of American University, where she was serving as student body president. She'd known she was a girl from her earliest memories, but it wasn't until the Facebook post announcing her truth went viral that she realized just how much impact her story could have on the country. Four years later, McBride was one of the nation's most prominent transgender activists, walking the halls of the White House, advocating inclusive legislation, and addressing the country in the midst of a heated presidential election. She had also found her first love and future husband, Andy, a trans man and fellow activist, who complemented her in every way ... until cancer tragically intervened. Informative, heartbreaking, and profoundly empowering, Tomorrow Will Be Different is McBride's story of love and loss and a powerful entry point into the LGBTQ community's battle for equal rights and what it means to be openly transgender. From issues like bathroom access to health care to gender in America, McBride weaves the important political and cultural milestones into a personal journey that will open hearts and change minds. As McBride urges: 'We must never be a country that says there's only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live.' The fight for equality and freedom has only just begun."--Dust jacket.
The trans generation : how trans kids (and their parents) are creating a gender revolution by Some “boys” will only wear dresses; some “girls” refuse to wear dresses; in both cases, as Ann Travers shows in this fascinating account of the lives of transgender kids, these are often more than just wardrobe choices. Travers shows that from very early ages, some at two and three years old, these kids find themselves to be different from the sex category that was assigned to them at birth. How they make their voices heard―to their parents and friends, in schools, in public spaces, and through the courts―is the focus of this remarkable and groundbreaking book. - Amazon
What is Trans Day of Visibility?
Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) was founded in 2009 by activist Rachel Crandall because the only widely observed day of recognition for transgender folks was Trans Day of Rememberance, which is recognized on November 20th and focuses on remembering those who have died from anti-trans violence. Rachel Crandall wanted to celebrate the courage and vitality of people while are alive and uplift their accomplishments and experiences.
When it comes to gender issues, we need more than just visibility.
We need networks of support.
We need justice.
We need liberation.
Visibility is the bare minimum.
On March 31st, 2021, the McQuade Library partnered with the Gender and Sexuality Alliance and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative to host a Trans Day of Visibility event. They held a panel that hosted faculty and students as they discussed transgender and nonbinary experiences in media and why representation matters in this context. Featured panelists included students Rowan Salhi and Jackson Fortune-O'Brien and Communication and Media/Women's and Gender Studies faculty Dr. Raechel Tiffe.
For many people, what they see in media may be their introduction to what it means to be transgender or nonbinary. For some, it is their first opportunity to see part of themselves acted out on screen, a chance to explore gender. It impacts a person's understanding, empathy, and ability to think critically about social justice issues, like anti-trans violence or policy. We are so grateful for our panelists who shared their knowledge with our community.
During our event, we discussed anti-trans legislation and how athletics are being heavily target right now. Here are a few spots to find more information:
BREAKING: 2021 Becomes Record Year For Anti-Transgender Legislation
Are you trans or nonbinary and looking for support?
Campus resources like The Counseling Center, The Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Gender Equality at Merrimack, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative, folks at the McQuade Library, and your trusted friends and faculty or staff supports may also have resources to share.
Trans Lifeline (877) 565-8860 Hotline open 24/7
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline (888) 843-4564
GLBT National Youth Talkline (Ages 25 and under) (800) 246-PRIDE
Trevor Project Hotline: (866) 488-7386 Hotline open 24/7
The Network/La Red (617) 742-4911 Hotline open 24/7
Resource List at Transcaresite.org
Do you work in communications or media?
Check out these resources for how to cover trans issues and ensure trans and nonbinary creators are included in your work. Remember, language evolves over time and can have cultural, generational, and regional influences. Use these as a starting point, and also use the language of the community you are covering.
A great way to find media about a topic you care about is to ask friends, librarians, and community members. You can also search for popular and scholarly articles about trans and nonbinary media. Some places to start:
The works listed below came up in our panel discussion. Some of these are examples of how to do it right, and some came with critique. Watch our panel above to hear what people thought about each piece listed, or watch with a critical eye and open mind.
