"I didn''t hear the word transgender until I was eighteen, when a person I was dating came out as trans. My boyfriend came out as my girlfriend, and I thought, ''What . . . is that?'' She said, ''I just don''t think I''m a man.'' And I said, ''Guess what? Neither do I.'' And then the skies parted, and I understood who I was."—Katie Burgess, nonprofit director and community activist/organizer Meet Katie, Hayden, Dean, Brooke, David, Julia, and Natasha. Each is transgender, and in this book, they share their personal stories. Through their narratives, you''ll get to know and love each person for their humor, intelligence, perseverance, and passion. You''ll learn how they each came to better understand, accept, and express their gender identities, and you''ll follow them through the sorrows and successes of their personal journeys. Transgender Lives helps you understand what it means to be transgender in America while learning more about transgender history, the broad spectrum of transgender identities, and the transition process. You''ll explore the challenges transgender Americans face, including discrimination, prejudice, bullying and violence, unequal access to medical care, and limited legal protections. For transgender readers, these stories offer support and encouragement. Transgender Lives is a space for trans* voices to be heard and to express the complexities of gender while focusing on what it means to be human.