Santa Monica Boulevard

As the book begins, the author sketches in scenes of the street life along Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. At that point and throughout the book, she describes how this particular street is something of a gathering point for transgender young people, both those whose lives she examines and in general. Her portrayal of the Boulevard features both its good points and bad points - its sense of freedom (where trans youth are able to be all that they are) alongside its sense of danger (where trans youth can find themselves pulled into the worlds of drugs and prostitution).

"T"

"T," a term used throughout the book as well as in the title, is shorthand for "truth" - when a person is living the "T," they are said to be living their personal truth, no matter what that truth may be. There are also...