Unlivable Lives: Violence and Identity in Transgender Activism

Anti-violence movements rooted in identity politics are commonplace, including those to stop violence against people of color, women, and LGBT people. Unlivable Lives reveals the unintended consequences of this approach within the transgender rights movement in the United States. It illustrates how this form of activism obscures the causes of and lasting solutions to violence and exacerbates fear among members of the identity group, running counter to the goal of making lives more livable. Analyzing over a thousand documents produced by thirteen national organizations, Westbrook charts both a history of the movement and a path forward that relies less on identity-based tactics and more on intersectionality and coalition building. Provocative and galvanizing, this book envisions new strategies for anti-violence and social justice movements and will revolutionize the way we think about this form of activism.

Author: Laurel Westbrook
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 11/10/2020
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9780520316591
ISBN10: 0520316592
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | LGBTQ+ Studies | Transgender Studies
- Social Science | Gender Studies
- Social Science | Sociology | General

About the Author

Laurel Westbrook is Associate Professor of Sociology at Grand Valley State University and cofounder of Sociologists for Trans Justice.