Abstract
Trans Men in the South: Becoming Men, by Baker A. Rogers, is a book that centers on the experiences of trans men across the Southeast. The main premise of the book is that space and place (rurality) fundamentally intersects with sexuality, gender, masculinity, religion, class, race, safety, and passing as cis-gender, creating diverse experiences for those who live in various parts of the Southeast. Additionally, Rogers explores how prejudice, discrimination, and oppression impact the lives of these trans men in broader society and within the LGBTQIA+ or “queer” community. Overall, this book is especially important since, as Rogers points out, most research has ignored queer life, particularly as it applies to the experiences of trans men.
From start to finish, Rogers utilizes a “queer” methodological approach by balancing the rejection of classificatory systems (queer) with traditional discipline-specific research methods, which is reflected in both data collection and analysis. Fifty-one in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted from January to May in 2018 by way of snowball sampling. Geographically, phone interviews allowed Rogers to reach a wider range of respondents, since the budget did not allow for extensive travel. The overall sample was diverse in terms of gender identity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status, except for race, where a large majority (38 of 51) of the respondents were predominantly white. However, Rogers factors in how the demographics of the trans men interviewed represent the racial composition of their respective states, contributing to the overall discussion of race found throughout the book.
Before examining some of the overarching themes found in chapters one to seven, Rogers provides a general discussion regarding language and the terminology used in their research. Rogers emphasizes how language holds power, is socially constructed, and, therefore, is constantly evolving. This is especially true when talking about gender and sexuality from a queer perspective; the goal is to include all identities, within and outside the LGBTQIA+ concept of classification. For this reason, the experiences of respondents included in the book are based on “their own terms” (p. xi). Finally, Rogers constructs a list of terminology specifically written to align with the experiences of the participants at the time the interviews were conducted, strengthening a queer methodological approach, and to educate those readers who might not be familiar with gender and sexuality, setting the stage for the chapters that follow in the book.
The major contributions of the book are contained within each chapter, providing an array of topics, highlighting the privileges and vulnerabilities that accompany identifying as a trans man in the Southeast. In chapter one, “Becoming Trans,” Rogers wants the reader to understand how “becoming trans is a process,” highlighting some struggles that the participants had to endure in order to align with their self-perceptions, such as coming out (both to themselves and others), changing one’s name (personally and legally), and physical transition. Chapter two, “Trans Manhood,” considers what it means to be a trans man in the South by focusing on how the participants viewed and performed masculinities. This is particularly illuminating given that the South has traditionally adhered to binary gender norms, roles, and presentations. Chapter three, “Born in the Wrong Body,” takes a closer look at how trans men in this study navigated “transnormative” and “discovery” narratives with intersecting identities. Chapter four, “Passing in the South,” investigates the importance of “passing” and how doing so is tied to location. An interesting finding was how trans men negotiated passing with safety, fear, and violence. Chapter five, “Losing My Religion,” wants the reader to understand the extent to which religion and/or spirituality intertwine with the gender identities of the trans men interviewed. Chapter six, “Discord within the Queer Community,” is an eye-opening look at how trans men experience discrimination, particularly from cis lesbians, cis gay man, and from other trans people within the community. Finally, chapter seven, “Sexual Harassment and Assault,” ends with a discussion on sexual violence before and after transition, with more victimization occurring before transition.
As Rogers points out, the goal of the book is to provide a greater understanding of the trans population, who are oftentimes invisible to the general public, either out of necessity or simply because they choose to live a stealth lifestyle. From the perspective of this reviewer, Rogers does achieve this goal by integrating intersectionality and trans masculinities into the analysis of the data, providing for a rich and complete depiction of the lived experiences of trans men in the Southeast. That said, anyone interested in learning more about trans issues could benefit from reading this book to include educators, researchers, policy makers, and the LGBTQIA+ community, students and nonstudents alike.