Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman On Sexism And The Scapegoating Of Femininity Paperback – 1 January 2007

Incredible book. Fascinating, powerful, relatable and well written.If you feel you don't know anything about trans people, it's a great catch-all text.If you're interested in psychology, biology, gender theory or other social sciences, or LGBT activism or feminism, you'll love it.If you're feminist or interested in feminism you'll love it.If you think you might be trans, it might help you find your answers.This is a brilliant book on a poorly understood topic,and it addresses a lot of common misconceptions. Everyone should read it. We all have things to learn from these experiences, whether trans or cis, male or female.

Make no mistake, this book is a "MUST" for everybody, but particularly the LGBTQ community and feminists.It explains in detail why gender is not binary ...even though there are some misguided soles who still (somehow) think it is.Trans people (and in particular trans women) still have very limited legal rights or respect in the UK and although the book concentrates on the issue in the USA the connotations for the UK are valid. Latest estimates suggest that around 1% of the folks in the UK are trans and this figure has for many years continued to grow. One percent may not seem high but if you put all the trans folks in one city even Manchester would not be big enough.There are some reviewers that dislike this book. Often described as "TERF's" I still have not been able to get my brain around this terminology. For the fact is whilst there is a tiny minority of people who are "trans exclusionary" the term "radical feminist" is in my humble view not equitable. A proper feminist (and I certainly consider myself one), is striving for equality, meaning of course, we are ALL equal, no if’s and no but’s!The depth that this book goes into is extraordinary....no wonder it is considered a “textbook” in trans academia in the USA. If there is any negative to this book, (which engrossed me to read it in two days as per the normal one month), is the use of certain words that I personally have never encountered before. Please forgive me on this but as a child of the very early 1950's who missed some years of schooling due to illness, I accept I am not the brightest person on the planet.However, I am bright enough to understand that nature makes mistakes and that trans people are victims of nature’s mistakes… just as some are born partially sighted or with one leg longer than the other.There is NO ROOM in our society for discrimination in our society today, and the sooner all the "wrongs" described in this book are corrected the better society will be! Very highly recommended.

Full of insights and new ways of looking at transgender issues. Would recommend to both trans people and their friends and families. Can get a little technical here and there and new terms to learn but it’s well worth the small amount of effort needed and 90% is an easy read.

This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be transgender, and the kinds of challenges and prejudices faced by transgender people. I would especially recommend it to anyone who is transgender (whether binary or not), and even more so if you are assigned male at birth. This book has allowed me to let go of the shame and self-loathing I have been feeling my whole life. It has been tremendously helpful to me and to many other trans people.

Loved this book. It is very informative, the arguments are sound and the author puts them across in a very easy to read manner.

Julia Serano ist eine Wissenschaftlerin an der Berkeley University, Californien im Bereich Evolutions-Biologie und selbst Trans-Frau.Als ehemalige Betroffene vor 35 Jahren kenne ich natürlich (fast) alle Situationen, die damals wie heute in der Transsexualitätauftauchen. Julia Serano beschreibt diese eingehend in ihrem Buch. Darüber hinaus analysiert sie auch das Verhältnisund die Interdependenzen des beiden Geschlechter. Das Buch kann daher auch Nicht-Trans-Menschen empfohlen werden.Besonders Psychologen sollten sich dies einmal zu Gemüte führen, damit auch bei Ihnen die sich selbst gemachtenVorurteile abbauen lassen. Allerdings ist das Buch nicht einfach zu lesen. Julia Serano hat eine fantastische Sprache undeinen exellenten Stil. Man muß sich in dieses Buch einlesen.

I'd consider this essential reading for all LGBT activists and anyone merely interested in trans issues/gender studies. Serano covers a wide variety of topics surrounding transsexualism:- how trans people are depicted in the media- the way psychiatrists have pathologised trans people, preferring to see them as objects of curiosity, rather than helping them cope with their condition- the way gender theorists in academia have written about trans people without actually having done any first-hand research - never having listened to them, preferring only to consider them from a distance- the discrimination against trans people in society- Serano's own account of what it's like for her as a trans womanMy review can't possibly do Serano's book any justice. She obviously put a tremendous amount of effort into it and it was all thoroughly researched. Never have I read something so eloquent by a trans person. I'm usually a slow reader, but I got through the book in a day. Please order it now - you won't be disappointed!

This book is a very well written account of life as a transsexual. It explores the attitudes of society and the real-life experiences of being different. Sometimes it is pedantic and critical, but living as a transsexual can make a person that way. On the whole, I enjoyed reading it, and recommend it as a serious review of the status and lives of transsexuals in America in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Awesome book. It's like she's sitting with you in the room having a conversation. A real nice combination of conversation and theory. One of those books that's hard to put down.

Julia Serano writes in a witty, accessible way and I love it. She doesn't coddle the reader but is also very clear in what she's saying. She gives a very nuanced read of the ways in which femininity and transsexuality are devalued and intersect. I find this text to be wildly rereadable and I can't wait to read more by her.

I can't say enough good things about this book.Her varied experience slowly going from one side of the fence to the other, exploring along the way, gives her perspective real merit in my opinion.Beyond that she also takes great care to shine a light on the issues from a myriad of perspectives and opinions.This book should be anyone's first stop when concerning gender related questions and gender related research.

As a MTF transgender myself, I found Julia Serano's book to be most interesting. She touches on so many points which resonated with me that I found that I was reading passages over and over again just to fully absorb them. An engrossing read which is completely open and honest, and pulls no punches about the transgender experience.

Didn't really like this book tbh.

Julia Serano offers an unique insight into sexuality and gender. Her essays are at the same time informative and profound. This is not an autobiography by a trans woman like Janet Mock's; instead, it is a book that makes the reader reconsider much of what he or she has always taken for granted regarding sexuality. Highly recommended.

A good account. Very honest and informative. Highly recommend it.