Five Books for Law Students Studying the Intersection of Gender and the Law
While some countries and cultures have long acknowledged nonbinary gender identities, the U.S. has witnessed a rise in societal recognition of genders outside the binary only in recent decades. This evolution is due in part to the efforts of litigators battling in court on issues such as transgender rights in the military, as well as advocates pushing for more inclusive policies through legislative reform. Society’s limitations on gender identity are giving way to more progressive laws, as demonstrated by State legislatures gradually beginning to reconstruct their legal frameworks to include nonbinary genders.
As gender justice litigation and legal reforms increase, more law students seek to study and practice in this area. Law schools are adding centers, courses, and clinics on gender and sexual justice to their offerings. Syllabi in these curricula run the gamut and include diverse scholarship on civil rights literature, feminist theory, and the politics of sexuality. For law students eager to expand their knowledge on nonbinary gender and the law, there are countless books in numerous genres, from historical and autobiographical accounts to graphic novels and poetry. While I could suggest hundreds of fascinating texts, the below list highlights five books specifically for law students, whether the goal is to educate oneself prior to enrolling in a class or to become a stronger advocate in this rapidly evolving area of law.
Books for Law Students Gender and the Law
1. A Guide to Gender: The Social Justice Advocate’s Handbook, Second Edition, by Sam Killerman
Killerman’s second edition of A Guide to Gender is a comprehensive yet approachable book on gender studies. Mapped out into four sections—Basic Training, Breaking through the Binary, Feminism and Gender Equity, and Social Justice Competence—the text offers insight and perspective for a breadth of readers. The book is an accessible read for law students just beginning gender studies, but also serves as a practical resource and guide for students more advanced in their studies of gender rights advocacy. The author’s straightforward manner of writing and neutral tone, which is also dappled with humorous comics and thoughtful examples, makes A Guide to Gender a top-notch gender studies read.
2. LGBTQ Stats: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers, by Bennett Singer and David Deschamps
LGBTQ Stats is co-authored by two award-winning writers and documentary filmmakers, Singer and Deschamps (who also happen to be a married couple). The authors synthesize their extensive research and data into a detailed chronicle of LGBTQ history and recent developments, while also presenting numerous statistics that shatter stereotypes about LGBTQ individuals. The book details how laws impacting LGBTQ communities have shifted across the globe, and provides extensive insight into the lives of LGBTQ people, covering everything from immigration and health issues to workplace discrimination. LGBTQ Stats is a compelling read and essential resource for law students committed to studying gender equality.
3. Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law, by Dean Spade
Spade’s book gets to the heart of a widely debated issue among nonbinary gender activists, particularly those advocating for transgender rights: will current reform strategies focused on legal inclusion actually result in equality for trans and gender nonconforming Americans? Spade, a Law Professor at Seattle University School of Law, critiques the use of traditional approaches to civil rights reform when advocating for trans and nonbinary rights. In writing that is at once deeply intellectual yet accessible, Spade clearly articulates why strategies employed by lesbian and gay activists would be ineffective for securing trans rights. Spade argues anti-discrimination laws would result in faux equality and protection of trans rights, and proposes a revised framework for trans and nonbinary activism. Normal Life is an engaging must-read that will compel law students to think critically on gender and the law, particularly equality and activism.
4. Transgender History, Second Edition, by Susan Stryker
Stryker, a professor who has focused her research on LGBTQ and gender issues for decades, has produced several books and films on transgender studies and is a prominent activist and leader of several organizations. Anyone looking for a concise foundation of the history of transgender people in the U.S. should look no further than Stryker’s book. Transgender History is broken down into five chapters, beginning with an introduction to terms used throughout the book and followed by chapters organized by historical periods and movements. At less than 200 pages, this chronological approach is an easily digestible account of transgender history, particularly for law students pressed for time.
5. Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality, by Sarah McBride
Tomorrow Will Be Different details author McBride’s coming out as a trans person to multiple audiences: her family, her university community, and nationally, as the first transgender person to speak at a national political convention. McBride is a well-known transgender activist who artfully recounts personal stories on being openly transgender. The book balances insight into the individual experience of being trans with examination into current battles in the fight for trans rights. With a foreward by Joe Biden, Tomorrow Will Be Different is inherently political, but is also a deeply powerful and inspiring memoir that provides unique insight into the life of a trans person.
The above-listed books are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of excellent available literature on the intersection of gender and the law. These titles will help you broaden your understanding of the history, lives, and politics of transgender and nonconforming communities. Just as important, these books are truly compelling and insightful reads, and worthwhile for any time-pressed law student seeking to advance their knowledge on nonbinary gender rights.