So many stars An oral history of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit people of color

In this scintillating oral history, novelist De Robertis (The Palace of Eros) weaves together the voices of 20 trans and gender nonconforming people of color in their 50s, 60s, and 70s in order to explore what it was like for their generation to come of age, as well as to record and memorialize the struggle for the right to free gender expression that these individuals pioneered. The book is structured by life stage, beginning with childhood exploration of identity and family responses; followed by building communities in adulthood, when many of the subjects leaned into activism; and finally, aging as a queer person and mentoring the next generation. De Robertis creates an evocative palette of experience that sheds unique light on the role trans people of color have played in everything from the evolution of the drag scene to activism during the AIDS crisis, but also surfaces more ephemeral cultural moments of the '70s, '80s, and '90s--for example, using the excuse of "being a goth" to wear makeup; navigating the rigid divide between Black and white lesbian communities, which were sometimes housed in the same clubs; and moving to California because, as one Latino trans woman recalls, the increasing number of white migrants to her hometown of Tucson were less accepting of her gender expression. It's an utterly riveting view of LGBTQ+ life in America. (May)

A chorus of queer voices elaborate on the "gender revolution" that changed their lives, past and present. Novelist De Robertis assembles insightful and educative life experiences from interviews in 2022-23 with 20 multicultural transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, genderfluid, butch, Two-Spirit, transfeminine, and transmasculine people. Each personal history is notable in its own scope and perspective, but collectively these voices representing elder queer generations of color become extraordinary. Generous anecdotes about what coming out queer or questioning gender was like three, four, or five decades ago form the crux of several stories. Trailblazing activists Adela Vázquez recalls being a "fat, loud, queeny little kid" who identified as a girl, and Brooklyn-born transmasculine punk musician KB Boyce relates seeing himself as a little boy and "didn't feel gender, I just felt like I was me." Elsewhere, participants share coming-of-adolescence stories and unflinching anecdotes touching on familial transphobia, "chosen family," identity, and survival; they oscillate between bittersweet pain and defiant audacity, as in Black trans woman Ms Billie Cooper's U.S. Navy enlistment, where astounded fellow servicemen "could see that I came from a different realm." Iconic San Francisco drag artists Landa Lakes and septuagenarian Donna Personna share vivid anecdotes from childhoods revealing misunderstanding from family and peers and memorializing the resilience that made them whole. Each story--from trailblazing trans activists and advocates to pioneering community leaders to a trans Latine immigrant business owner to cultivators of queer culture--reflects on how the joys and pains of living authentic queer lives formed the people they have become. The lasting impressions each of them has made on society beautifully amplify the heartbeat of queer trans life. A colorful tapestry of potent, radiant, and relevant testimonials from queer people of color. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.