American Teenager // How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era

“Lang proves how rich the discourse is when trans youth take their rightful place at the center of their narratives.” –RAQUEL WILLIS, activist, and author ofThe Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation

Media coverage tends to sensationalize the fight over how trans kids should be allowed to live, but whatisincredibly rare are the voices of the people at the heart of this debate: transgender and gender nonconforming kids themselves.

For their groundbreaking new book, journalist Nico Lang spent a year traveling the country to document the lives of transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid teens and their families. Drawing on hundreds of hours of on-the-ground interviews with them and the people in their communities,American Teenagerpaints a vivid portrait of what it’s actually like to grow up trans today.

From the tip of Florida’s conservative panhandle to vibrant queer communities in California, and from Texas churches to mosques in Illinois,American Teenagergives readers a window into the lives of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Clint, Ruby, Augie, Jack, and Kylie, eight teens who, despite what some lawmakers might want us to believe, are truly just kids looking for a brighter future.

“With heartfelt empathy, Nico Lang uncovers the human stories overshadowed by political rhetoric, showcasing the struggles and resilience of transgender youth amidst adversity while simultaneously amplifying their voices, which are all too often silenced.”
–JAZZ JENNINGS, author ofBeing Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) TeenandI AmJazz

Nico Lang(they/them) is a nonbinary award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience covering the transgender community’s fight for equality. Their work has appeared in major publications, includingRolling Stone,Esquire, theNew York Times,Vox, theWall Street Journal,Salon,Harper’s Bazaar,Time,The Washington Post, and theL.A. Times. Lang is the creator of Queer News Daily and previously served as the deputy editor forOutmagazine, the news editor forThem, the LGBTQ+ correspondent forVICE, and the editor and cofounder of the literary journalIn Our Words. Their industry-leading contributions to queer media have resulted in a GLAAD Media Award and 10 awards from the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA). Lang is also the first-ever recipient of the Visibility Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), an honor created to recognize their impactful contributions to reporting on the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

• Publisher:Harry N. Abrams
• Publish Date: October 8, 2024
• Pages: 288
• Dimensions: 6.44 X 9.19 X 1.01 inches | 1.04 pounds
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9781419773822
• BISAC Categories: Life Stages – Teenagers, LGBT, LGBT Studies – Transgender Studies, Alternative Family, Parenting – General, Prejudice