Redefining Realness, By Janet Mock

For this assignment, I read Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love, & So Much More by Janet Mock. Janet Mock is a trans woman of color who grew up in poverty in Hawaii and has since become a writer, activist, and spokesperson for the queer community. Redefining Realness is her first book, and she has since written another that picks up where this one leaves off, in her early twenties. Reading this memoir provided me with an intimate and clear portrayal of what life can look like for a trans woman and made me much more aware of the struggles faced by people in this community.
In this memoir, Mock talks primarily about her path to realizing she is trans, coming out to others, and how she was able to transition at a relatively young age. She talks about the culture in Hawaii as being much more accepting in general of non-binary gender identities; however, she also explains that she faced discrimination in high school so much so that it necessitated switching schools. Growing up poor and in a single-parent household, Mock also talks about the
Regardless of our personal feelings, it is our responsibility as providers of mental healthcare to be aware of the unique needs of trans clients and reach out to make sure we are doing the best we can. The primary impact of these negative beliefs about trans people has been violence and murder. According to the Human Rights Campaign, which began documenting murders of trans people in 2016, each year has resulted in higher numbers of deaths (Human Rights Campaign, 2018). Trans people experience physical violence and sexual assault at higher levels than cisgender populations, and these hate crimes have been shown to lead to suicidal ideation, attempts, and substance abuse (Testa et al.,