"You're in the Wrong Bathroom!" And 20 Other Myths and Misconceptions About Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming People

This “insightful and instructive primer” debunks the twenty-one most common myths and misconceptions about transgender issues—“buy this book and share it with [your] whole family” (Bust)

From Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner to Thomas Beatie (“the pregnant man”) and transgender youth, coverage of trans lives has been exploding—yet so much misinformation persists. Bringing together the medical, social, psychological, and political aspects of being trans in the United States today, “You’re in the Wrong Bathroom!” unpacks the twenty-one most common myths and misconceptions about transgender and gender-nonconforming people. Authors Laura Erickson-Schroth, MD, a psychiatrist, and Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R, a psychotherapist, address a range of fallacies:

• Trans People Are “Trapped in the Wrong Body”
• You’re Not Really Trans If You Haven’t Had “the Surgery”
• Trans People Are a Danger to Others, Especially Children
• Trans People Are Mentally Ill and Therapy Can Change Them
• Trans People and Feminists Don’t Get Along

Laura Erickson-Schroth, MD, MA (New York, NY), is a psychiatrist working with LGBTQ people in New York City. She is the editor of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves, a resource guide written by and for transgender people. Find her at writerdoctor.com.

Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R (New York, NY) is a trans and genderqueer-identified psychotherapist, writer, activist, and public speaker working with transgender and gender-nonconforming, LGBTQ+, and sexual/gender diversity issues.

PART 1: IDENTITY

MYTH 1: You’ve Never Met a Transgender Person
MYTH 2: All Trans People Want to Be Either Barbie or Ken
MYTH 3: You’re Not Really Trans If You Haven’t Had “the Surgery”
MYTH 4: Trans People Are “Trapped in the Wrong Body”
MYTH 5: Trans People Are Secretly Gay
MYTH 6: It’s Rude to Ask How You Should Address Someone
MYTH 7: “Sure, I’d Love to Talk About What’s in My Pants”

PART 2: SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS

MYTH 8: Most Trans People Are Sex Workers and Have HIV
MYTH 9: Trans People Hate Their Bodies
MYTH 10: Trans People Are Trying to Trick Others
MYTH 11: Most Trans People Can’t Find Partners and End Up Lonely
MYTH 12: Trans People Are a Danger to Others, Especially Children

PART 3: HEALTH AND SAFETY

MYTH 13: “You’re in the Wrong Bathroom!”
MYTH 14: Trans People Are Mentally Ill and Therapy Can Change Them
MYTH 15: Getting Hormones and Surgery Is Easy
MYTH 16: Testosterone Makes You Angry and Estrogen Makes You Emotional
MYTH 17: Laws Support Trans People

PART 4: HISTORY AND COMMUNITY

MYTH 18: Trans People Have Existed Throughout Time
MYTH 19: Certain Cultures Universally Embrace Trans People
MYTH 20: Trans People and Feminists Don’t Get Along
MYTH 21: The LGBTQ+ Community Is United

Acknowledgments

Resources

Notes