A New Book About Transgender Teenagers Seeks to Uplift Their Stories (Exclusive)

A new book about transgender teenagers aims to share their stories in their own voices. Award-winning journalist Nico Lang shared the cover of their new book, American teenager, exclusively with PEOPLE. The book, which details the lived experiences of transgender, non-binary and gender-fluid youth across the US, is out this fall from Abrams Books.American teenager was a book I needed to see in the world: One that privileges the complexity of joy and gives a platform to those who desperately need it in dark, difficult times,” Lang tells PEOPLE.

‘American Teenager’ by Nic Lang.

Eli Mock/Pace Taylor

Lang, the founder Queer News Daily, has followed LGBTQ+ issues as a journalist for years. During their journalism careers, Lang worked with families of transgender youth and wanted to document their stories, especially with the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ laws across the United States.

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“This year alone, more than 500 bills seeking to strip basic protections for LGBTQ+ people have been introduced across the US, and trans youth have become the scapegoats of the far-right campaign to repeal equality,” says Lang. “In the midst of this ongoing crusade, my goal was to give trans teenagers a chance, for once, to start a conversation about their lives.” Lang spent a year traveling the country to document the daily lives of the book’s subjects and their families. The author visited various places along the way, from conservative areas of Florida to LGBTQ+ communities in California, according to the book’s description, trying to raise the voices of young people who are often not heard. without end—too few people bothered to ask these kids their opinions, whether about their gender, their right to participate in public life, or even what they thought about anything,” says Lang.

Nico Lang.

Christian Rogers

Although Lang was initially interested in teenagers’ thoughts on LGBTQ+ and trans-rights issues, other topics proved just as important.

“Some of my favorite conversations documented in this book weren’t about the fragile state of LGBTQ+ rights, but topics ranging from the works of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard to whether actor Michael Cera is cute,” says Lang.

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Lang hopes the book gives transgender teenagers a place to be who they are. “What many people who want to erase the very existence of trans youth forget is that they are not bogeymen or political speakers,” says the author. “They’re just kids, trying to figure out who they’re taking to prom this year and finish their homework in time to hang out with their friends. They are still figuring it all out inside American teenagerI wanted to create a space where that was not only allowed, but celebrated.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.American teenager will be released on October 8th and is available for pre-order now.

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Source: HIS Education