Transforming Manhood

Book excerpt: What does it mean to be a husband? What does it mean to be a trans man? What does it mean to be an American man, speaking up and speaking out in today's divisive climate? Ryan Sallans, transgender educator and lecturer, follows up his successful Second Son autobiography with this thought-provoking look at life in contemporary America. While the term "trans" has become much more visible, the undercurrents of what it actually means still rumbles beneath the surface. In this second searing memoir, Sallans leads his readers on a trip through domestic bliss and family fractures, speaking successes and online harassment, personal heights and dizzying falls. In Transforming Manhood, the author confides what it means to be a public personality, showcasing how his profile has earned him adulation, as well as accusations. This follow-up to Second Son will inspire anyone who has ever fought personal demons to become the best possible person they had imagined. Through eye-opening discussions on college campuses, heart-to-heart talks with worried parents in America's heartland, and scary real-life stalking experiences, Sallans has overcome much and has grown from these encounters. Transforming Manhood is a book that chronicles Sallans's everyday struggles to transition into being a better husband, son, and man. It's a book that pleads for the LGBTQ community to come together and place their differences aside. In today's political climate, it's a call for mutual understanding and for standing up for what you believe in. Transforming Manhood continues the story of Ryan Sallans's life, but more than that: it spotlights his hope and encouragement for a better, optimistic, unified future for everyone.