Book excerpt: In the current age of gender identity and transgender awareness, many questions are coming to light for everyone. Whether brought about by media and cultural attention or personal journeys, individuals who have never heard of transgender, transsexual, or gender variant people can feel lost or confused. Information can be hard to find, and is often fragmented or biased. Meanwhile, trans people are getting a chance to dialogue with each other and finally be heard by the world at large. In Traversing Gender: Understanding Transgender Realities, author Lee Harrington helps make the intimate discussions of gender available for everyone to understand. Topics include: What the words "trans" "transgender" mean, differences (and crossovers) between sex, gender, and orientation, the wide array and types of trans experiences , social networking and emotional support systems for trans people, navigating medical care, from the common cold to gender-specific procedures, what "transitioning" looks like, from a variety of different approaches, how legal systems interplay with gender and trans issues, extra challenges based on gender, race, class, age and disability, skills and information on being a successful trans ally. Bringing these personal matters into the light of day, this reader-friendly resource is written for students, professionals, friends, and family members, as well as members of the transgender community itself.