Forward

            I read the final draft for A Social and Psychological Account of Gender Transition: The Diary of a Transsexual Academic from the backseat of a cramped car, sitting next to my infant child.  I carefully turned the pages, often adjusting the LED book light as to not wake her during the five hour drive.  Why mention how I read the book for a Forward?  Because everything exists in a context.  For S. Walker – the context is a life in pain – trapped inside a false world and trying to get out.  Those around Walker push for complacency and the status quo.  For those not aware of the exodus of transsexuals, the path can be confusing.  It is in this regard, that The Walker Journals can fill a void.

            This book details the complete emotional and relational changes during a transsexual’s transition.  Although other text books can explain the “hows” of surgery and the necessary paperwork, rarely does an individual (or the family) understand the intensity of this change.  Through dulcet prose, Ms. Teague demonstrates the intricate process of becoming a woman.  By deconstructing gender, the reader can witness and feel the emotional changes from “man” to “woman.”  Gender transition touches many lives – family members, spouses/partners, children, friends and co-workers.  Ms. Teague has included all of these issues in this book, displaying with remarkable clarity the range of reactions people have for transissues. 

            I commend Ms. Teague for addressing such a complicated and emerging issue.  Although society is becoming more accustomed to knowing the definitions for transgender, we all have immense personal work to do before we can truly understand and respect the issues involved for those who are gender variant.  As I read this book, I continued to notice my child dressed carefully in greens and purples as to avoid the traditional baby pink.  Shoved into my bag are books with photos of trucks and dresses.  But will this be enough?  How can I explain to her that I will accept her, should she actually be a he?  How do I teach her how to be a woman in today’s society, while explaining that gender constructs are becoming an outdated concept with little utility? 

            But mainly during the five hour drive, I am excited about how this “journal” made me reflect about different concepts.  Although I have been doing transwork for over ten years, I am delighted to have a book challenge me.  This truly is a must read for all those in gender transition, family members of transpeople, and gender therapists. 

Jennifer Sager, Ph.D.

            Dr. Jennifer Sager is a licensed psychologist in private practice at The ITM Group in Gainesville Florida. She received her doctoral degree from The Pennsylvania State University, her masters' degree from the University of Oklahoma and her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.

            Dr. Sager’s interests include multiple identities, specifically the intersection of race, sex, and sexual orientation. She has published articles and presents nationally on multicultural issues, including the Multicultural retention programs and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered issues.

            As an author, she has published The Psychology of Transgender, a book chapter featured in The New Goddess: Transgender Women in the Twenty-First Century (2006) and co-authored the book Becoming Multicultural Responsibility which became available in Winter 2007  She enjoys assisting Transgendered individuals with adjustment and transition issues, as well as providing Transgendered training for businesses and organizations.