The Collection: Short Fiction From The Transgender Vanguard
by Andrew Clark
EDGE Contributor
Wednesday Oct 17, 2012
http://www.edgeboston.com/entertainment/books/fiction/136938/the_collection:_short_fiction_from_the_transgender_vanguard"The Collection: Short Fiction From the Transgender Vanguard" is a strong, important collection of fiction from emerging trans voices in our country that is masterfully compiled and edited by the newly formed Topside Press and its founders Tom Leger and Riley MacLeod. Without the use of big names or a main focus on one story that so often plagues collections such as this, this compilation manages to use a stunningly diverse group of voices to weave a picture of the current status of living as a trans American.
It is no secret that of the LGBT movement, the T is what is so often either silent or ignored. With an issue of gender identity, so often trans people do not "identify" as such. They either choose to identify as their biological gender or their intended one. Additionally, too often the LGB side of the community not only dominates the conversation by nature of sheer numbers, but also by purposeful exclusion. This can be seen in bars all the way through to federal legislation. The voice of the trans community is a quiet one despite arguably having the experience most worth shouting about.
It is with this in mind that I began to work my way through this collection, and it is also with this in mind that I revelled in how representative the selections were. Not only is there a strong image of every creed, race, and economic background, but also it is a trans image.
