Born Outraged: Janet Mock visits Texas State

By Denver Donchez
News Reporter

“For a lot of folks, the majority of people in the (Women’s March) audience, were first time activists; it was their first political passion. They finally felt called to outrage, because they felt wronged by the election results. They were shocked by the way in which the county showed up, and as a black, native-Hawaiian, poor-raised transwoman of color, I was not shocked. I was born outraged. I was born with parents who were outraged, who showed me every single day what we did not have, why we were not counted, and why we were silenced.”

Author, television host and transgender activist, Janet Mock laid down some serious truth bombs Wednesday evening when she visited Texas State.

Speaking to a group of students gathered in the LBJ teaching theater, Mock outlined many of the issues addressed in her new book, Surpassing Certainty– a memoir about her years as a twenty-something, black transwoman living in the U.S.

Mock used her experience as a speaker in the Women’s March in D.C. to draw attention to the issue of intersectional feminism- the idea that various attributes such as race, sexual orientation, class, gender identity etc. create multiple levels of oppression.

She related this idea to several examples throughout her life, such as the experience of publishing her latest book.

“I remember thinking about the business and the capitalistic piece of publishing. I was told as I was pitching the idea for my new book- after being an editor at People Magazine, having all of the credentials, having a master’s degree, having all of the things that we say people who are publishing book are supposed to have- that trans memoirs don’t sell.”

Mock is a New York Times bestselling author. She has worked as a journalist and educator on transgender rights across multiple media platforms. Texas State was honored to host her on Wednesday night.

Featured image by Denver Donchez.