Before we dive into Jennifer Finney Boylan’s memoir, here’s some background information
People often use LGBTQ+ to mean all of the communities included in the “LGBTTTQQIAA”:
Lesbian
Gay
Bisexual
Transgender
Transsexual
2/Two-Spirit
Queer
Questioning
Intersex
Asexual
Ally
+ Pansexual
+ Agender
+ Gender Queer
+ Bigender
+ Gender Variant
+ Pangender
“0.6% of U.S Adults identify as transgender… An estimated 1.4 million adults in the U.S identify as transgender” (Williams Institute 2016).
Celebrities you may know that identify as transgender
Left to right: Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox, Elliot Page, Jazz Jennings, Jenny Boylan
Laverne Cox made history by being the first transgender woman to be on the cover of Cosmopolitan
“Trans women deserve to be loved out in the open and in the light,” Cox states in the issue. “Your voice matters, the truth of who you know yourselves to be matters. The truth will set you free!”
LAverne cox speaking on the topic of being transgender
Now that we have some knowledge on the transgender community, let’s look into one in particular: Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She’s Not There!
Before: James Boylan
“Sometimes I’d go into the empty room next to mine and I’d put on some old dresses that hung in garment bags there. They smelled like mothballs. I’d stand around thinking, This is stupid, why am I doing this? And then think, Because I can’t not. Then I’d take the dresses off and go back to my room and think, You’re an idiot. Promise you’ll never do that again. Then I’d go back into the storeroom, try on a different one, and think, Idiot” (Boylan 30).
“This learned helplessness is often called internalized oppression because we have learned to become our own oppressors from within” (Harro 19).
During: James to Jenny Boylan
“Your claim that Jenny is real may be true, but it seems almost beside the point. That Jenny is the real you is something that I have to take on faith, because the evidence of my senses suggests the opposite. You may have chosen to be James every day for all those years, but the fact is that you got so good at it that the rest of us can’t quite make the shift” (Boylan 183).
“But being with you can’t mean what it used to mean. I’m always going to miss my boyfriend, the person I married, the person I love. The fact that all of this is necessary for you doesn’t make it any less hard for me… Every success you’ve had as a woman is also a loss for me” (Boylan 217).
After: Jenny Boylan
“‘Now there used to be a James Boylan on campus,’ she said thoughtfully… ‘No,’ I said. I felt a little dizzy. I didn’t know what to say to her without lying. ‘He’s gone now,’ I said” (Boylan 18).
“Once we begin to feel committed to our lives, responsible to ourselves, we can never again be satisfied with the old, passive way” (Rich 1).
Artist Statement
Jenny’s story about the epic highs and lows of changing genders is truly inspiring. It’s clearly prevalent that Jenny’s transition was far from easy but ended up being well worth it. Even in the face of losing everything, Jenny persevered, both by herself and with others, to make it out on the other end. Through the difficult times, Jenny and her community were able to practice love and acceptance. A significant takeaway is that love will always prevail. The love and support Jenny felt guided her towards being her true self. Jenny’s story is one of millions, and it is our obligation as friends, family members, classmates, humans, whoever we are to allow love to win.
The Diary of an Ellie Lim 