For #TransAwarnessWeek , I want to give a shout-out to @juliaserano , whose books have really helped me make sense of my identity as a trans woman and of my sexuality.
"Whipping Girl" helped me think about the social dynamics of gender in a richer way. In particular, the idea of feminity itself being undervalued in society (along with the implications) was a lightbulb moment for me.
"Sexed Up" set up and dismantled the common "predator prey" framework around sex. It is much more pervasive and harmful than I feared, and Serano helped me think through alternatives.
In both books, my favorite parts were really the anecdotes of Serano's experiences as a trans woman, many of which I identified with.
