Last month I read Redefining Realness by Janet Mock. It's a book where the author tells us in great detail about her journey as a trans woman. She talks about the obstacles, problems and changes she had to go through during her childhood, adolescence and adult life. She talks about the relationship she had with her parents, her siblings, her classmates, her acquittals, and many other people she lived and interacted with. However, in addition to sharing her life with us, she also discusses the many struggles that people like her (a person of color from the LGBTQ+ community and from a low-income family) face every day. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In part one of Redefining Realness, Mock explains how, even though she was born a boy, she always knew she was different of his brothers and the rest of the boys. From a young age, she exhibited her preferred behaviors and gender roles, just like many trans people whose stories she heard and read. However, when she and her younger brother Chad began living with their father, his girlfriend, and his girlfriend's son, Derek, she was treated harshly by her father because she did not behave like a " normal boy.” » As a result, she began to think that there was something wrong with her because she did not like and appreciate the same things as her brother. At that time, Mock felt that her father was against her, but now as an adult, she realized that he loved her and was trying to protect her with her femininity because he didn't want her to she is intimidated by others. be different. One very important thing she mentions in the first part of the book is that she was constantly attacked by Derek. This happened until she was ten years old and for many years she thought it was her fault. Mock says she "later learned that the majority of sexual abuse offenses are committed by people who know the victim, including immediate or extended family members: a neighbor, a coach, a babysitter , a teacher or a religious leader.” Which is true since according to the website of an organization fighting sexual violence, “7 out of 10 rapes are committed by a person known to the victim”. She also mentions that “gays and lesbians are increasingly accepted, while transgender people, especially trans women, are still stigmatized.” This statement is also correct since, according to a 2013 survey of 1,197 American LGBT adults, "transgender adults are considered less accepted by society than other LGBT groups: only 3% of respondents say this is largely accepted. band ". In this first part of the book, I can relate to Mock because I also knew since I was very young that I was different from most girls my age. I didn't like wearing skirts, dresses or makeup; I didn't like playing with dolls; and I didn't like having long hair. Because of this, I was constantly being told to be more feminine, to act like a lady, to not do certain things because I was a girl. Sometimes even my friends' mothers criticized me for dressing "like a boy" and not wearing makeup because, in their minds, I had to start acting like the woman I was or boys wouldn't want to. not go out with me. . These “minor” incidents are what made me feel ashamed of my body and myinterests throughout my childhood and most of my adolescence. As Mock says, "It is often only people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation negates society's heteronormative and cisnormative norms who are targets of stigma, discrimination, and violence." In the second part of the book, Mock tells us that she started living in Hawaii again with her mother and siblings after 5 years, however, it was her older sister, Cori, who would take care of her since their mother spent more time with her boyfriend. In addition to having to deal with her mother's absence, she and her brother Chad were discriminated against and teased in Hawaii for being mixed-race black children, making them ashamed of their skin color. She also started acting and looking like a normal boy because she thought if she did that her mother wouldn't send her away again. But, by hiding her true self, she felt isolated and hopeless, just like many other trans people who “struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts and actions, substance abuse, and a wide range of self-harming behaviors which makes the task even more difficult. live a healthy and fulfilling life. According to data provided by the Psychology Today website, 6.7% of Americans suffer from depression and 18% from anxiety. However, about half of people who identify as transgender suffer from these issues, and other transgender Americans have attempted suicide nine times. more than cisgender Americans. All of these issues arise “in response to the discrimination, stigma, lack of acceptance and abuse that transgender people unfortunately face on a regular basis.” Mock also says she met Wendi in middle school, a girl who was trans like her. . At first, she avoided Wendi because she felt intimidated by her and decided it was better to focus on her studies, but later they became very close friends. Wendi lived with her grandparents and they accepted her as she was despite their neighbors' bad comments about her. She introduced Mock to her trans friends and everyone always told her she was beautiful. However, it was difficult for Mock to accept this because she felt insecure in her body due to all the beauty standards she would see in the media and due to the physical changes to her body caused by puberty. And, when she and Wendi were in high school, Wendi started hormone replacement therapy and she would give Mock her pills so she could begin her transition without her family knowing. From this second part of the book, I can relate to Janet's experience of isolation. . When I was ten, I hid for about a year, because I felt like no one understood me and I thought there was no one else like me. I didn't want to be seen as weird in my school and in my family because I didn't want to stand out. However, by pretending I was a "normal girl" I was hurting my feelings and self-esteem. I didn't feel comfortable in feminine clothes and shoes, and I felt terrible when I had to pretend that I liked dressing like that or doing the things that all my friends liked to do. Luckily, by the time I was in high school, I realized it was time for me to stop being ashamed of who I really was and decided to dress and act like I wanted it. And thanks to the “silent” support of my parents, my older brother and my friends, I was able to achieve this. In the third part of the book, Mock was given the nickname Janet and she eventually announced to her family and friends that she.