TRANS* & Nonbinary

I’m Afraid of Men

Vivek Shraya has reason to be afraid. Throughout her life she’s endured acts of cruelty and aggression for being too feminine as a boy and not feminine enough as a girl. In order to survive childhood, she had to learn to convincingly perform masculinity. As an adult, she makes daily compromises to steel herself against everything from verbal attacks to heartbreak.

Now, with raw honesty, Shraya delivers an important record of the cumulative damage caused by misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, releasing trauma from a body that has always refused to assimilate. I’m Afraid of Men is a journey from camouflage to a riot of color and a blueprint for how we might cherish all that makes us different and conquer all that makes us afraid.

“Emotional and painful but also layered with humour, I’m Afraid of Men will widen your lens on gender and challenge you to do better. This challenge is a necessary one–one we must all take up. It is a gift to dive into Vivek’s heart and mind.” –Rupi Kaur, bestselling author of The Sun and Her Flowers and Milk and Honey

Discussion of trauma from transphobia.  If you are a gender expansive person living in this world, you may need to read in small sections at a time. Please listen to your body for when to stop reading and reconnect with safety and joy.