Therapists and other experts recommend their favorite titles.
Growing up in a conservative, evangelical Christian household in Louisiana, Rae McDaniel longed for a book that focused on the exciting parts of gender exploration. More joy and pleasure — less hard slog.
“So much of the literature was focused on suffering, on pain, on risk factors — and that is important,” said Mx. McDaniel, who identifies as queer and nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. “But I wasn’t seeing the other side of the coin.”
Years later, after becoming a therapist who works with transgender people, “I decided that I needed to create it myself,” they said.
The resulting book, “Gender Magic,” was the resource that Mx. McDaniel wished they had available when they were younger — an emphasis on positive coping strategies and a practical guide for achieving what Mx. McDaniel calls “gender freedom.”
We asked Mx. McDaniel and other experts to recommend nonfiction books that explore the mental health and inner worlds of L.G.B.T.Q. people. There are far too many titles to mention here, so think of this list as a starting point.
Save Yourself, by Cameron Esposito
Memoirs can help people feel less alone, make sense of life experiences and discover fresh perspectives on what it means to identify as L.G.B.T.Q.