On Friday Nov 9, as part of the special Wisconsin Book Festival edition, our host Jonathan Zarov speaks with Helen Boyd, author of She’s Not the Man I Married, Cameron Whitley, co-editor of Trans-Kin: A Guide for Family &Friends of Transgender People, and Miriam Hall, who has contributed an essay in Trans-Kin.
They speak about trans issues in society- Cameron explains, “I do see that there’s going to be progression…we see a lot of other significant others, family members, friends and allies trying to come to terms with what it means to be in a relationship with a transgender person, and how they negotiate their identities. When we transition, we also have to remember that the people around us are also transitioning in a lot of different ways.”
Helen Boyd speaks of the partner relationship, explaining that earlier there was no support network or guide available for partners of transgender people, but that recently, as more transgender people come out, there is greater awareness and support for the partner in the relationship as well. Helen says that she sees herself, and writes, as an emissary for Trans issues, “People felt more free to ask me questions that they wouldn’t necessarily want to ask my partner.”
They discuss the role literature plays in helping the public relate and understand these issues better. Miriam explains what she tells her students, “find what’s really your experience, write from a deeply emotionally true place, and people will really relate. They won’t necessarily relate to the details in your life, but they’ll relate to the emotional resonance.”
Today Helen and Miriam will be conducting a workshop, “Trans Kin: High School Friday Session” for high school students. The public is also free to attend.
Fri, Nov 9 – 10:10 AM and 12:35 PM. Wisconsin Studio/ Overture Center
Learn more at Trans-Kin.com
Read more about this and other events on Jonathan Zarov’s Friday BuzzBin blog.
Listen to the entire interview here: