Our dominant media’s celebration of transgender people must inevitably include the distorted sounds of our tastemakers becoming transfixed by trans
Our dominant media’s celebration of transgender people must inevitably include the distorted sounds of our tastemakers becoming transfixed by trans fiction. Exhibit A is a new novel titled “Detransition, Baby” by trans woman Torrey Peters. It’s published by One World, an imprint of Random House. “The mission of ONE WORLD,” its website says, “is to provide a home for authors… who seek to challenge the status quo, subvert dominant narratives, and give us new language to understand our past, present, and future.” Subverting the “dominant narrative” of the gender binary draws many earnest, if unsurprising, endorsements — from Vox, BuzzFeed, O: The Oprah Magazine and so on. The publisher especially likes The New York Times Editors’ Choice blurb from “trans lit” author Andrea Lawlor, who proclaims, “‘Detransition, Baby’ might destroy your book club, but in a good way.” Let’s attempt to explain the plot, although it’s a quintessential blur: 1. Ames was born James but transitions to Amy for a few years, until he “detransitions” to Ames. This signals that he’s “distanced from himself.” 2. Reese, also a trans woman, is Amy’s lover, but they break up over the detransitioning. 3. Katrina is Ames’ boss, whom Ames impregnates after an office party, having told her that all those hormone blockers probably made him sterile.
