Red-Haired Ash Reads

This was a wonderful and informative book that highlights that trans people have always been here and always will be. This is broken down into four parts (kids, activism, workers and athletes) and covers 30 trans people’s remarkable stories. 

Before reading this book, I had never heard of any of these people. Erlick takes us through their lives, their transitioning, and how they fought to be their true selves. I found all the stories fascinating and love that these stories are finally getting told and these people are no longer hidden from history. I learned so much from this, especially about the activists who fought for trans rights. 

My only complaint, which is very minor, is that I wish I could have learned more about a few of these people but I completely understand that there just isn’t a lot of information out there about them. But it did make some of the people’s stories seem incomplete. Also I wanted to see pictures of these people, which I didn’t think of when I got the audiobook, but the author has images on their website so that helped. 

Overall, though, I highly recommend this book and think it should be required reading (especially for those who try to claim being transgender is new). 

TW: transmisa; homomisia; police brutality; death; death by animal; genocide (Nazi regime); drug use and addiction; suicide; 

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