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Preface xiii progress can begin to emerge. With that progress, we will hopefully see a better, more inclusive society move forward—a society that affirms the right of every person (1) to be who and what they are and (2) to express those innately human qualities without being forced to endure shame, prejudice, or discrimination. Gender-diverse author Declan Henry writes, “In most Western countries, tolerance of gays and lesbians is greater than for trans people, who are still vilified and far more likely to be ostracized at work, beaten up, or in some countries even murdered. It is therefore reasonable to ask if trans people are the last group in society that can be ridiculed and judged without any appar- ent consequence. “How can society change its attitudes towards trans people? True equality isn’t about just tolerance, because to imply that people simply ought to be tolerant toward trans people would mean that there is something wrong with them that needs control. What is needed is a broadminded and empathetic attitude, but this can’t be achieved without understanding trans identities and dispelling the myths and fear about it.”7 Despite this yearning for progress and social enlightenment, gender-diverse people still find themselves confronted with the reality of rigid, culturally enforced gender orthodoxy, that is, conventional beliefs about gender, most often manifested in the form of the gender binary, that are becoming increas- ingly at odds with an evolving and more aware society. To paraphrase actor, speaker, author, activist, transman, and all-round good guy Scott Turner Schofield, we still live in a world that blithely assumes everyone is heterosex- ual and “normatively” gendered until proven innocent.8 Because such blanket assumptions about gender can be naive and faulty—and thus potentially dan- gerous in their weighty sociocultural implications and impact—it is incum- bent upon each of us to become at least somewhat more aware of the realities that accompany the gender-diversity phenomenon. This is an aspect of the human experience that is becoming progressively observable in daily life, and we owe it to ourselves and each other to learn the truth about it. Such an edu- cational endeavor will allow us to make better, more informed decisions about how we as individuals and as a society will deal with the issue. That is why this book exists: to assist in the effort to raise awareness about the gender- diversity phenomenon, to provide accurate information to the reader, and to offer a useful resource for those who need or desire one. What This Book Addresses “Remember, being [gender diverse] isn’t simply a feeling or a preference it’s a profound, often difficult process of self-understanding.”9 There are many questions that remain unanswered about the gender-diversity phe- nomenon and its growing influence within society and the business