AJ and I met up for a strong cup of coffee and got personal. I think I speak for all of us when I say yaaas queen. If you’d like to read Girl, Trans-cending, you can place a hold on it in our catalogue. Getting personal with digital creator and trans model, AJ Clementine. It’s a great book for any young person who is exploring their sexuality or gender identity, or for anyone wanting to learn more about what it’s like to grow up trans and biracial in Australia. Overall, this book is fantastic as it provides the language and representation for young people to understand themselves and navigate their journey to embracing their identities. Whilst most of the book focuses on A.J.’s own lived experience, it also includes educational segments about LGBTQI issues and mental health. This journey was complex but some factors that led to this included having positive representation of Asian women in the media, and having people in her life that celebrated their own cultural heritage. Over time, she came to embrace her heritage. felt she was able to pass as white, she said she downplayed her Filipina heritage to avoid facing racism herself. Growing up, she witnessed her mother facing racism and became aware of how white culture treats Asian people in general. is biracial, having a Filipina mother and a white father. also learned to appreciate her cultural heritage. Now, even though she still has some bad days, she is proud of the woman she has become.Īfter becoming comfortable in her transgender identity, A.J. The problem was, shed been born in a magical shell that looked, on the outside, like a perfect little boy. Fortunately, she grew more comfortable with her transgender identity over time and was able to begin the process of socially and medically transitioning. AJ Clementine always knew she was a girl. This led her to feeling trapped – as she was unable to accept that she was trans, and because this, she was unable to move forward and become the woman she was destined to be. wasn’t ready to accept that she was a transgender woman, due to the transphobia she had witnessed in the media and at school. Despite finally having a word to explain her experience – trans – A.J. This changed when she was in high school, when one day in class a teacher passed her a newspaper clip about a famous transgender woman from Germany who underwent gender confirmation surgery. describes a sense of knowing that she was a girl, but not having the knowledge or language to express this. As a content warning, her book discusses gender dysphoria, queerphobia, racism and mental ill health.Īs a child, A.J. AJ Clementine is a director and actress, known for I hate what I see (2020). Clementine is a 25 year old content creator and LGBTQI advocate from Melbourne and in her memoir, Girl, Trans-cending, she talks about her journey towards embracing her identity as a Filipino Australian trans woman.