With media amplifying the voices of anti-trans legislators and critics, it is important to turn to the stories, research, and expertise of trans and nonbinary people in order to understand the reality of their experiences. In The Conversation on Gender Diversity, editor Jules Gill-Peterson assembles essential essays from The Conversation U.S. by experts on gender diversity. The essays guide readers through seldom-covered aspects of transgender history and present an overview of the social and political barriers that disenfranchise trans people and attempt to remove them from public life.

As these essays collectively show, trans and nonbinary people may be forced to be the face of gender and its diversity, but the cultural, political, and social realities of gender connect―and subject―everyone. Despite these challenges, there is an immense culture of love and support across the queer community that is bolstered by activists and allies working against transphobic attacks. Trans and gender-diverse youth are growing up in a world filled with ever-increasing hurdles and rising danger, even with the contemporary public recognition of trans life in culture and media. But they are not facing these challenges alone.

The Critical Conversations series collects relevant essays from top scholars on timely topics, including water, biotechnology, gender diversity, gun culture, and more, originally published on the independent news site The Conversation U.S.