what are the five pillars?
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, a professor and published author in the field of library science and children’s literature, developed an analogy that many in the field use to this day, describing how books can serve three main functions: mirrors (reflecting someone’s own experiences or reality), windows (allowing individuals to observe people, events, and lives very different from theirs), and sliding glass doors (offering the reader the opportunity to step through the door and experience something through their imagination and the immersive quality of the author’s writing). When almost 40% of banned and challenged books in the United States are targeted because of LGBTQ+ content, it becomes more important than ever to make sure students have access to these titles and elements of representation, for queer students who are deprived of their mirrors, but also for heterosexual students who are deprived of their windows and doors, as well as questioning students who may find comfort and reassurance in titles exploring the challenges of navigating shifting identity as a young person growing up.
Based on graduate research conducted by the founders of Read Trans Books, the five pillars framework provides a simple set of evaluative criteria that have informed the rest of our work, from worksheets to help you apply this framework to titles under evaluation to our trans books database.
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Consider the classic definition of genre (realistic fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery/thriller, horror, historical, etc.), each of which offers a unique context in which to explore trans life, as well as format (graphic novel, novel in verse, short story collection or anthology, chapter book, etc.), which can have a decided impact on accessibility for some readers, such as reluctant readers or readers with dyslexia.
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Includes gender identity (transmasc, transfem, nonbinary, genderqueer, etc.) but also consider sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, race, socioeconomic status, physical ability, neurodivergence, and family structure.
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Includes immediate and extended family, teachers, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, etc.
Intercommunity: are non-LGBTQ+ characters accepting of the trans character or not? How do they react to the trans character’s existence or struggles?
Intracommunity: are there other queer/trans characters in the book? What are their reactions to the trans character?
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Dysphoria: a sense of being out of place in your own body when your physical self doesn't match your internal sense of your own gender. May cause significant distress to the trans character.
Euphoria: a feeling of joy and excitement when your physical self DOES align with your gender identity.
Neither one is required for a trans story to be valid or “good” representation. Some trans people experience gender dysphoria very strongly but gender euphoria very rarely or vice versa, while others may have very little or very intense amounts of both. Feelings of gender dysphoria or euphoria may also change day to day.
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Social transition: non-medical interventions or changes to lifestyle that affirm the trans character. May include the use of a new name or pronouns, change of fashion or style, wearing a binder for trans masculine individuals, or using the bathroom for the gender the trans person identifies with most.
Medical transition: medication or surgery that helps affirm the trans character. May include hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy, or gender-affirming surgery.
Like gender dysphoria and euphoria, neither one is required to validate a trans person’s identity.
We use a rating system of 0-3 for the last three pillars to indicate how much of a focus that topic is in a title that we’re reviewing or including in our database. As an example, a book that follows a trans teen through the consultation, surgery, and recovery of gender-affirming surgery will be rated with a high score of 3 for medical transition, but it may only rate a low score of 1 in social transition if the main character has already socially transitioned and is not shown going through the process of coming out to friends/family, trying new names/pronouns, etc.
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