The Transsexual's Survival Guide: To Transition & Beyond by JoAnne Altman Stringer (1990)

The Transsexual's Survival Guide: To Transition & Beyond by JoAnne Altman Stringer   (1990) 

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This book covers everything the therapist didn't tell you and then some. Counseling, economics, networking a new social life, seeking employment, and dealing with friends, family and others are just a few of the topics. Comprehensive yet general enough for both Male to Female and Female to Male transsexuals. This is an indispensable guide for a successful transition.

From the Preface

...Several years passed following my own surgery and still more things unfolded that were unexpected.  During this time I wrote numerous articles for nearly every gender publication in existence about my hopscotch adventure.   When JoAnn Roberts (the publisher) approached me to write a 'user's guide' to transition it suddenly dawned on me this was just the type of book I wished I'd had!

In many ways it is something of my story for I could not have written it without recalling my experiences.  In other ways it is meant to be generic because most people will undergo just about the same procedures as I did in the same way.  During my transition, I talked with other transgendered folks, to medical professionals, and recalled my own psychology training.  As such, this book is drawn from a wide range of sources and experiences.  There are some cases where you may have different experiences such as in the legal field, since laws vary from state to state and city to city.

This book is not meant to be an ultimate guide as I am sure everyone will have personal experiences that differ from the information between these covers.  But it is, at least, a place to start.  Many transsexuals who go into transition do so with the help from a gender center in their community that also provides a needed direction.  But there are also many who go into transition without that help.  This book will help both groups as it provides a solid information base to start down the road to transition.

It is also meant to be read by the F-t-M transsexual as well as the M-t-F transsexual.  The steps are the same in most areas for both genders.  Certainly each has their own individualities but there are enough nonspecific things that can be homogenized in just such a guide.

Table of Contents

Finding A Voice

Misconceptions Versus Truths

The Shaping of Our Individual and Collective Theology

The Fundamentalist Factor

A Christian Attitude

My Own Beginnings

Complexities And Conflicts

Coming To Terms

The Way I See It