Trans Men in the South: Becoming Men

(Paperback)

Available Formats

---

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Through the voices of 51 trans men, Baker A. Rogers analyzes what it means to be a trans man in the southeastern United States. Rogers argues that the common themes that pervade trans mens experiences in the South are complicated by other intersecting identities, such as sexuality, religion, race, class, and place. This study explores the intersectionalities of a group of people who are often invisible, by choice or necessity, in broader culture. Rogers engages with debates about trans experiences of masculinity, passing, and discrimination within LGTBQ spaces in order to provide a comprehensive study of trans mens experiences.

Reviews

Rogers (Georgia Southern Univ.) explores the lives of trans people with a study of 51 diverse trans men in the south, utilizing the term "queer methodology." Based primarily on in-depth interviews, this study brings to light the lives and concerns of trans men living in the southeastern US. Dominant narratives of queer and trans people tend to focus on coastal cities rather than rural locations, as the author notes, which effectively centers "metronormative" narratives and histories. Rogers seeks to expand the discussion through seven chapters that explore topics such as religion and spirituality, discord within the larger queer community, and sexual violence and harassment. The author situates analysis within the larger landscape of literature on the topic, supported by robust citations that contextualize the work in helpful ways. The book also contains instructive tables, including ones that define terms used frequently in the text. Readers will come away with a more nuanced understanding of trans men. This volume will interest sociologists and scholars of gender and sexuality. Recommended for all college and university libraries. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

* Choice *
Becoming Men is a great read for anyone interested in trans experiences, but it is Baker A. Rogers' focus on geography and the context of that geography that will make this book a must-read for queer and trans scholars. In a region where what church do you go to and Whos your family" are common questions, Rogers' "outsider within" perspective gives us more than a story of trans mens experiences of the Southeast. -- D'Lane Compton, University of New Orleans
Trans Men in the South: Becoming Men takes the reader into the everyday lives of Southern trans men, describing their experiences of discovery, belonging, and violence. This research on how trans men authentically become themselves while navigating complicated environments challenges what scholars know about trans men's lives to date and asks new questions about the trans experience. Baker A. Rogers takes the reader outside the typical venues for trans researchbig cities, the coastsinto the heart of the South and the everyday lives of Southern trans men. -- Amy Stone, Trinity University

Author Bio

Baker A. Rogers is assistant professor of sociology at Georgia Southern University.