Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality- Sarah McBride
My Review: 5 Stars
Tomorrow Will Be Different may be the most important book I'll have read this year. This is the one I'll be pushing—er, gently encouraging—people to read.
Sarah McBride's memoir is both accessible and powerful. She shares her own story but she is ever pointing out her privilege and centering the experiences of the transgender community. She lets us in to her life, while also providing a bird's eye view of the larger issues. The result is truly masterful. I particularly appreciated the way she pointed out the inequity and discrimination transgender people often face in the health care system and funeral services.
I was greatly moved as Sarah shared about her journey in accepting and then embracing her identity as a transgender woman. This is such a personal experience. That she was able to share it as openly as she did is an incredible gift.
Because of Sarah's activism, we get to see everything that went on behind the scenes leading up to the Delaware Senate and House passing the Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act of 2013. So much goes into passing any bill and it was fascinating to see how hard Sarah and her coworkers at Human Rights Campaign worked, as well as hear all the personal accounts. It was also disheartening to see the pushback and outright attacks they faced. But then justice prevailed and I was celebrating right alongside Sarah! There's more work to be done but I am confident every state will follow suit and protect the rights of all transgender people.
"Names are important. Not just in the transgender community but everywhere. It's the first thing a parent gives to a baby. It's how our society bestows personhood, recognizes individuality, and affirms humanity in each one of us. That's why one of the first steps in marginalizing someone is to remove their name. It communicates that you are unimportant and unseen." p. 53
Sarah made so many important points about identity and gender, the ways we show people we see and love them and the ways we marginalize and ignore them. We have an opportunity to come alongside the transgender community to show them how loved and valued they are and part of that is listening to stories like Sarah's and Janet Mock and Allyson Robinson and Austen Hartke and so on.
One of the best parts of this book was the story of how Sarah fell in love with Andy, a transgender man. They were so perfect for each other found each other and I loved that they met at a White House reception in celebration of LGBT Pride month. They eventually ended up working at HRC together in addition to dating. Unfortunately, Andy was diagnosed with cancer and died only a few days after they were married. I'm so happy they had the time together they had but it's unbearably sad that it was too short a time.
This was so well written and engaging. I'll continue to follow and support Sarah McBride's good work. Only time will tell where her political career will go. If you've been wanting to better understand and support the transgender community, this book is a wonderful place to start.
Synopsis
A timely and captivating memoir about gender identity set against the backdrop of the transgender equality movement, by a leading activist and the National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.
Sarah McBride is on a mission to fight for transgender rights around the world. But before she was a prominent activist, and before she became the first transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2016, she was a teenager struggling with her identity.
With emotional depth and unparalleled honesty, Sarah shares her personal struggle with gender identity, coming out to her supportive but distraught parents, and finding her way as a woman. She inspires readers with her barrier-breaking political journey that took her, in just four years, from a frightened, closeted college student to one of the nation's most prominent transgender activists walking the halls of the White House, passing laws, and addressing the country in the midst of a heated presidential election. She also details the heartbreaking romance with her first love and future husband Andy, a trans man and activist, who passed away from cancer in 2014 just days after they were married.
Sarah's story of identity, love, and tragic loss serves as a powerful entry point for readers who want to gain a deeper understanding of gender identity and what it means to be openly transgender. From issues like bathroom access to healthcare, identification and schools, Sarah weaves the important political milestones, cultural and political debates, and historical context into a personal journey that will open hearts and change minds.
Tomorrow Will Be Different highlights Sarah’s work as an activist and the key issues at the forefront of the fight for trans equality, providing a call-to-arms and empowering look at the road ahead. The fight for equality and freedom has only just begun.
“We must never be a country that says there’s only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live.” –Sarah McBride
Buy The Book Here:
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links are included in this post.
