As a Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned By: Paula Stone Williams

(The Eastpointe Memorial Library only has this title in the audio format)

Reviewed by Mae

 

    As a Woman is a memoir presented by the transgender pastor Paula Stone Williams; she also narrates the audio version. Paula grew up in a conservative background through the Evangelical church, and was expected to become a pastor based on family tradition. With these familial ties to the church, Paula was able to rise up the ladder, to many prominent positions within the church system. However, this was all before Paula embraced her identity as herself. Paula had spent much of her life her life hidings behind a male identify even though she knew that wasn't a true reflection of her. She also knew from an early age this wasn't a true reflection of her, but felt that she could remain within her assigned gender at birth. It took Paula 60 years to embrace her true self outwardly to the rest of the world. This of course had presented new difficulties within her life as a pastor, her home life with her wife and three children, and that of the female identity. In this memoir Paula retells her story, and reflects on how even though it took six decades to live her truth it was something she ultimately had to do for herself.

     I found this memoir intriguing. Coming to terms with our own identity is a struggle a lot people face. The ability to come out at the age of 60 with her upbringing is a reflection of how times have changed. When Paula was a child, she knew who she really was, but these weren't topics easily discussed in general society let alone the Evangelical Church. These days, regardless on one's personal beliefs, the LGBT+ community has become more visible. I personally recommend this book to anyone, who wants to hear the personal account of an individual in a community that many still struggle to fully understand. My hope is the more people familiarize themselves with LGBT topics, the more understanding we can be as a society.