On March 20, the Trans Rights Readathon kicked off across social platforms, a decentralized fundraiser for trans rights organizations led by author and activist Sim Kern. The readathon challenges people to spend the week reading books written by trans and nonbinary authors, while asking their communities to pledge and support them in donating to trans rights groups like the Trans Health Legal Fund or local fundraisers to support their own trans friends.
Anyone can participate in the Trans Rights Readathon by signing up through this form and then using their platform, whether it be TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, or something else, to post about the books they’re reading and seek pledges.
Kern says they launched the readathon in direct response to recent legislative efforts that are proliferating across the country.
“I was feeling so much despair about the barrage of anti-trans bills being proposed across the U.S.,” they told Publishers Weekly. “I think so many people, myself included, felt defeated and overwhelmed and not sure what to do.”
If you’d like to participate in the Trans Rights Readathon but aren’t sure what you want to read, here are 16 recommendations of books by trans authors — memoir, YA contemporary, magical realism, romance, and more.
Happy reading!
BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them.