Summary

Body – In this chapter, and from a frequently scientific perspective, the author examines the question of body modification – specifically, the different ways that transgender youth (generally male to female) change their bodies to more resemble their desired gender. The first point she makes is that actual surgery to remove genitalia is not always the ultimate goal: “… there’s a range of physical alterations you can make, depending on your financial situation, how permanent or temporary you want the change to be, your patience with a lengthy process, your tolerance for risk, and what you want to look like in the end” (108).

The author then discusses different aspects of using hormones to reshape a young male body to look more like a young female body, adding that this is often a priority with young transgirls who want to avoid being “clocked” – that is...