In the updated second edition of Whipping Girl, Julia Serano, a transsexual woman whose supremely intelligent writing displays her diverse background like a lesbian transgender activist and professional biologist, shares her powerful experiences and observation-both pre- and post-transition-to show the ways that fear, suspicion and dismissiveness toward femininity shape our societal attitudes toward trans women, as well as gender and sexuality as a whole.

Serano’s well-honed arguments stem from her ability to bridge the space between the often-disparate biological and sociable perspectives on gender. With this provocative manifesto, she exposes how deep-rooted the ethnic belief is normally that femininity is frivolous, poor, and passive, and how this ‘womanly’ weakness is available and then attract and appease man desire.

In addition to debunking popular misconceptions about transsexuality, Serano makes the case that today’s feminists and transgender activists must work to accept and empower femininity-in most of its wondrous forms.