Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: unilateral feminists, subconscious sex, trans women, San Francisco, Skirt Chasers, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With her first full-length book, biologist, writer and musician Serano positions herself as a Betty Friedan of the transsexual community. Making a case that trans discrimination is steeped in sexism and that trans activism is a feminist movement, Serano delivers a series of articulate, compelling and provocative essays that unmask many of the misconceptions surrounding transsexualism, gender and feminism. Where most books on the topic focus either on first-person accounts or clinical observations, Serano approaches her topic from multiple angles. Tempering her own experience as a transsexual woman with psychological documentation, historical research and sociological data, she explores the debate on biology versus socialization; the media's "lurid," "superficial" and "contrived" depictions of trans women; the psychology of transitioning; "boygasms" versus "girlgasms"; nonacceptance and marginalization of transsexual women by the feminist community; and the subtle shades of gray between masculinity and femininity. Though her writing is dense at times, Serano largely succeeds in breaking down complex issues and offering deep insights that will be valued by anyone interested in transsexualism or gender studies. (June)
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Product Description

A provocative manifesto, Whipping Girl tells the powerful story of Julia Serano, a transsexual woman whose supremely intelligent writing reflects her diverse background as a lesbian transgender activist and professional biologist. Serano shares her experiences and observations — both pre- and post-transition — to reveal the ways in which fear, suspicion, and dismissiveness toward femininity shape our societal attitudes toward trans women, as well as gender and sexuality as a whole.

Serano's well-honed arguments stem from her ability to bridge the gap between the often-disparate biological and social perspectives on gender. She exposes how deep-rooted the cultural belief is that femininity is frivolous, weak, and passive, and how this “feminine” weakness exists only to attract and appease male desire.

In addition to debunking popular misconceptions about transsexuality, Serano makes the case that today's feminists and transgender activist must work to embrace and empower femininity — in all of its wondrous forms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press; annotated edition edition (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580051545
• ISBN-13: 978-1580051545
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,132 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous, Intelligent, and Helpful, October 6, 2007

By	Daniel Raphael - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Few books are genuine pathbreakers, but this is one of them. The author combines analysis of feminist texts, the psychiatric medical profession, popular (sexist) culture, and personal experience to produce a book that truly leads the way. Ms. Serano points out the kinds of pressure and discrimination that make life difficult for "trans" people, those whose sex at birth does not fit with their own feelings of gender. The "gatekeepers," as she calls them, are people with an agenda, and the greatest focus is the requirement that a person desiring to transition from physical male to physical female, want and expect to be heterosexual. There is additional pressure to keep everything confidential, to move away from family and friends...and all this, not to help the trans person, but to keep the normal heterosexual people comfortable.

She explains at length the kinds of contradictions that are foisted upon a person who experiences "gender dissonance"--the non-congruence of one's "assigned sex" (physical sex at birth) and one's self-feeling of gender. This latter she calls "subconscious sex," pointing out that people who never experience this profound disjunct ("cissexual," she calls them) understandably don't comprehend this emotional chasm.

While it's challenging at times to incorporate the several new terms she coins, there appear to be good reasons for all of them. We have to have some words to refer to things not previously named, and the existing psychiatric language is so skewed, that it is both a "slam" on trans people and operates from profound ignorance of trans people's life experiences. For the most part, though, this book--which is a collection of long and short essays--is written in common language, and fluently so. She does lapse into the academic habit of writing "I would argue..." but this is hardly a major failing in a text that has a lot of important ideas.

Argue she does, and cogently so. I was persuaded by her point of view, insofar as I understand it. She movingly describes the plight of the person who discovers they are not cissexual, writing that ..."This gender dissonance is usually experienced as a kind of emotional pain or sadness that grows more intense over time, sometimes reaching a point where it can become debilitating." Sometimes, it results in suicide, especially for those trans people who are unable to persuade the "gatekeepers" to provide them with the physical change that would bring into alignment the trans person's assigned sex and felt gender.

Much of the book is devoted to dissection of feminist hostility and prejudice--including outright proscription from some women's gatherings--and she carefully refutes each and every slur directed at trans people. I'm impressed with her documentation and logical clarity...a crucial component that makes this book an outstanding work.

A very important idea in this book is that not only women, but *femininity* is devalued by our society--and not just by cissexual women and men, but by many feminists and even some queer and trans people. She tellingly points out that "...while most reasonable people see women and men as equals, few (if any) dare to claim that femininity is masculinity's equal. Indeed, much of what has historically been called misogyny--a hatred of women--has clearly gone underground, disguising itself as the less reprehensible derision of femininity." Until men can freely express their own femininity, they will continue to be socialized as emotionally repressed, violence-prone "tough guys." This is not a minor or "cosmetic" issue, but one with farreaching social implications for all of us.

Finally, she addresses the future for trans people, noting the various kinds of attitudes within the trans and queer communities that make it harder for trans people to seek respect, equality, and fair treatment. Ms. Serano points out the "more radical than thou" posturing adopted by some transsexual and queer people, which ironically reproduces its own version of "oppositional" and "binary" sexism...rather than acknowledging the alliance of individuals, with all the variety that that entails. At the end of this book, she strikes an uplifting note, posing the vision of a world in which "...we may finally take the next step toward a world where all people can choose their genders and sexualities at will, rather than feeling coerced by others." Right on!

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A breakthrough in feminist thought, July 2, 2007

By	Joanne Herman (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Julia Serano has managed to give voice to many thoughts I've had over the last five years since my transition from male to female, and has sewn them together into a lucid and compelling explanation of how things got so screwed up for us transsexual women. Her approachable, easy-to-follow writing style serves as an effective foil for her brilliant exposition. I feel positively empowered by her writing.

We are the women who give up male privilege for femininity. Serano shows how much this fact threatens the patriarchy, and how transition treatment standards (set largely by men) have tended to objectify and pathologize us.

If you believe the psychiatrists who say we transition just to wear pantyhose, you should buy this book to read the real reason.

If you feel it is just that transsexual women are excluded from such venues as the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, you should buy this book for a convincing explanation of why such policies are flawed from the feminist point of view.

If your thinking has been formed by the feminists who've vilified us over the years, none of whom was transsexual, you owe it to yourself to buy this book to hear our side of the story.

And, if you are a transsexual feminist like me, not only will you buy this book, you'll be elated that we finally have our own manifesto.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air among stale gender studies!, June 6, 2007

By	J. M. (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This book is amazing. Serano's analysis of sexism, misogyny, feminism, and queer politics are informed by her experiences as a trans woman, but bring important insight to anyone's experience with gender. This was the first thing I've read in years in the gender studies field that didn't feel stale.