julia serano on sexism

Julia Serano, author of Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, is one of the smartest women I know. Of any book Seal has ever published, Whipping Girl is the one that most opened my mind and most altered my perceptions of sexism, misogyny, and trans issues at large.

Julia's AlterNet article, "Rethinking Sexism," out yesterday, is a worthwhile read. In fact, Julia's always worth reading. Here she covers the three differing feminist perspectives with regards to the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival's womyn-born-womyn only policy, which bars trans women from attending. One of the commenters points out the fact that feminism and transgender ideology make "uneasy bedfellows." Which is exactly why Julia is such a trailblazer---because she's working from within "the movement." She's an outspoken feminist and trans activist. I feel like the burden lands on feminists to first acknowledge the ways in which transphobia and trans misogyny negatively impacts all women. And admittedly, many do. And yet, some of the biggest stand-offs are happening among feminists and inside the LGBT community (and yes, there's overlap there). It's a battlefront, that's for sure, and I commend Julia's unwavering dedication to thoughtful, balanced, and patient analysis of these issues.

---Brooke

brushing up on the backlist: HUNGRY FOR MORE

It's always cool to see one of our authors being interviewed years after their books come out, and especially when the book is mentioned. Today I want to call attention to Hungry for More, by Robyn McGee, which was actually the second book I acquired at Seal Press when I started in 2004.

On CNN.com today, Robyn talks about the misrepresentation, and/or limited representation, of black women in film and television. "Female film roles are prone to stereotype," she said.

McGee lost her sister to gastric bypass surgery, which prompted her to write this book on black women's body image.

Thanks, Robyn, and check out the book.

Brooke