- Paperback: 309 pages
- Publisher: Cleis Pr (July 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1573440728
- ISBN-13: 978-1573440721
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 13.7 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #712,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Common sense has dictated that there are two genders--female and male. But this perspective is becoming less accepted and making less sense for many people. Pat Califia's Sex Changes is a frank, forthright, and sometimes funny challenge to the traditional ideas about gender and sexuality. Transgenderism is the term used to describe people who feel they belong to both, or neither, traditional genders. Califia--a vocal sex radical as well as a therapist--explores the worlds of biology, sociology, psychology, and politics and comes to the conclusion that life and personal experience is far more complicated than most people believe and that the simple two-gender system most people accept is more harmful that helpful. Clear-headed writing and enormous empathy for everyone who exists outside of "the norm" make Sex Changes challenging and vital reading.
Review
"One always expects Pat Califia's writing to be challenging and thought-provoking, and Sex Changes will not disappoint..." -- LESBIAN NEWS
"The first major work published by a gay and lesbian press that takes transsexual and transgendered concerns seriously..." -- GAIL SONDEGAARD, SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES
"The first major work published by a gay and lesbian press that takes transsexual and transgendered concerns seriously..." -- GAIL SONDEGAARD, SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended,
By Michael G (Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sex Changes: Transgender Politics (Paperback)
Highly recommended. Patrick Califia writes:"What would it be like to grow up in a society where gender was truly consensual? If the rite of passage was to name your own gender at adolescence, or upon your transition into adulthood? What would it be like to walk down the street, go to work, or attend a party and take it for granted that the gender of the people you met would not be the first thing you ascertained about them? ... If these questions frighten, offend, or annoy you, you are one of the people who stand to benefit from transactivism - although it probably doesn't feel like your benefactor. And if these questions amuse, engage, and challenge you, you're probably a transactivist already. Welcome to the genderevolution."
5.0 out of 5 stars
Readily accessible history and analysis,
By TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism (Paperback)
Most of you may know Pat Califia as a SM writer -- both fiction and non-fiction. This is one of Califia's non-fiction works. In 8 chapters, Califia tackles the public lives of several transgendered folks in the twentieth century. In no way does Califia endorse their views, in fact she points out that many of them are hardly gender radicals because they embrace very traditional views of gender roles. In many ways, this was quite sad to read. If you know that Califia has now become Patrick Califia you can read this book as both a historical and psychological analysis of the issue of transgenderism as well as a historical look at Califia's own personal journey. This book is not for those of you with very conservative views of sexuality or gender roles so if you buy it, it will make your upset but now you are warned.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent look at the public issues surrounding the topic,
By TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism (Paperback)
Pat Califia looks at several transgendered individuals, organizations, and those who both oppose and support them in this book. For those who are not familiar with the political, social and public issues involved in what you can see almost every week on Jerry Springer, this is a good introduction to publications and attitudes of 20th century America. I found Califia's analysis and presentations sharp and challenging -- especially since she has become Patrick Califia and he has written his own books. There were occassions where there needed to be more citations for the statements and facts which Califia makes but overall this is an excellent book.
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