Books that Share a Journey: Inspiring Books About Female-to-Male Transsexuals

Born in a genetically female body with a male identity, Female-to-Male transsexuals take a journey that most people would never have even considered possible up until the late 1970's and early 80's - changing their outward physical sex from that of a female into a male. Twenty years ago, the general public knew little about Female-to-Male transsexuals, and even in the year 2007 the word 'transsexual' is more often used to indicate Male-to-Female individuals, but the reality is that Female-to-Male transsexuals have become just as prevalent as their counterparts - you just hear about them less often. The books on this list have been picked to compile a list of several titles that each offer a valuable and articulate voice of what is means to take this journey.

A Brief Overview of Terms

But before the booklist, a short explanation on terms. Generally, 'transsexual' refers to someone considering or currently undergoing hormonal treatment and/or surgery to align their outward gender appearance with that of their inside identity or sense of self. However, the term transsexual is more often used to indicate the former meaning, to designate a person as 'considering'; that is, pre-transition or within the beginning stages of physical transition towards their desired sex. A transsexual person can also identify themselves as 'Transgender', a broader term that typically refers to the state of a person's 'gender identity' (their self-identification as male, female, or otherwise) not matching or correlating with the genetic or physical sex they were assigned at birth. Other terms that are commonly used to apply to female to male transsexuals include 'Transman' and 'FTM' (female-to-male abbreviated). Additionally, using the term 'transsexual' to describe oneself does not at all imply a specific sexual orientation - a transsexual person may identify as straight, gay, bisexual, or any other orientation, just as the non-transgendered among us do.