Queer Adolescence

Find out what it’s like to go through puberty as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or asexual teen.

What do you do when Mom says, “You’re a woman now!” but you know you’re not a woman? Or when Dad keeps asking when you’re going to bring a girlfriend home, but you’re not interested in girls?

Puberty is an awkward and confusing time for anybody, but for queer youth, feelings of social and physical discomfort can be heightened. Adolescence should be a time for making social connections and exploring new ideas, but many queer youth must also wrestle with complicated identity questions, familial and social bigotry, and difficult decisions about whether to be safe or authentic.

In this accessible book, personal accounts mingle with factual information and sensitive analysis to provide a snapshot of the joys and concerns of American lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual adolescents. Whether you’re a parent, a clinician, a teacher, or a queer person, this book will answer many questions and offer a way forward.

Includes:

Personal narratives and discussion about the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ youth in adolescenceConcrete action plan for parents, teachers, and clinicians to better support the queer youth in their livesVital glossary of up-to-date LGBTQIA+ and puberty termsHighly recommended queer-inclusive sex education materials

Charlie McNabb was a queer adolescent. When they entered puberty, Charlie was told that they was “a woman now” and it was made clear that there was an expectation of eventual heterosexual union and childbearing. That was uncomfortable! Charlie has been fascinated by queer puberty experiences ever since.

Charlie started doing research on queer and transgender menarche experiences in 2010. They’ve surveyed over 150 people and done in-depth one-on-one interviews with a few dozen more. In addition, they have been collecting puberty accounts and ephemera from both popular and DIY culture (advertisements, fiction, zines, and so forth). This research has produced several conference papers and zines as well as a growing archival collection.

Charlie’s background in anthropology (BA 2005), folklore (MA 2011), and library science (MLIS 2013) has given them experience with large-scale surveys and interviews, library and archival research, and sensitive analysis.

Rowman & Littlefield published Charlie’s previous book, Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources in 2017.