Februari, Maxim: The Making of a Man: Notes on Transsexuality (eBook)
In autumn 2012, the writer and
philosopher Maxim Februari, known until then as Marjolijn Februari, announced
his intention to live as a man. In The Making of a Man he describes how the news
was greeted and how people began to react: with unease, interest and sometimes a
slightly too comradely tone. Whatever the response, there was always an element
of ignorance - hardly anyone seemed to understand what a sex change actually
involved or how best to react to it.
Februari contemplates the many questions
he had to deal with during his transition, from the effects of testosterone to
the sexual organs, love, the legal position and matters of language: should we
say transgender or transsexual? Februari meticulously dissects these issues
without losing what makes them so personal and what makes his own transition so
fascinating.
Februari questions our impressions of effeminate men and butch
women, and examines apparent acceptance and actual prejudice. Although the
process of changing sex is a lengthy one, the outside world experiences it as a
fairly abrupt switch. From one day to the next, as the testosterone took effect,
Februari started to nd himself addressed as a man rather than as a woman. What
had changed?, he asks himself. In the intervening 24 hours I hadnt had a
haircut, I wasnt wearing different clothes; it was just that the testosterone
had altered the subtle signals by which my body suggested its sex.
The Making
of a Man is a unique and moving account of Februaris experiences, an intimate
and humorous tale written by a distinctive voice. Februari analyses and
describes, charts and enquires. Above all, he makes us think.
Verlag: Reaktion Books
Seiten: 136 S. Erscheinungsjahr: 2015 Ausführung: Fester Einband
