This is the Author’s Note and Introduction from journalist and trans activist Janet Mock’s 2014 memoir Redefining Realness. Closeted for much of her young adult life, Mock describes the motivation behind and difficulty of sharing her personal history as a trans woman of color. Mock mentions a Marie Claire that, she felt, misrepresented her life story–you can read the (terrible) article at this link: http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/advice/a6075/born-male/. It’s interesting to compare a text written by Janet Mock vs. one written by “Janet Mock as told to Kierna Mayo.”
Mock’s memoir was assigned as a reading choice for my course on African American Literacies.