Growing up in the 1980s, Evan Urquhart was seen as a girl, but began to feel a profound difference with the girls at school. Studying the “Sweet Valley High” series seemed to offer clues on how to behave like a regular teenage girl.
But in sixth grade, Urquhart got a library card and almost at random selected Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi novel “The Robots of Dawn” from the shelf. It had a relatable male protagonist … and an eye-opening sex scene. “If I wasn’t transgender before I started that book,” he says, “I was by the time I finished it.”
Evan Urquhart is a regular contributor to Slate, where a version of this article originally appeared as part of its Spark Notes series about lightbulb moments in sexual development.
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!