The Man Who Would Be Queen

Book Review by Pauline Park, Ph.D. The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism by J. Michael Bailey, Joseph Henry Press, $24.95 What is the most horrifying outcome one can imagine from the story of a feminine boy who loves everything girlish? That he should grow up to identify as a transgendered woman? Clearly, this is the fear that animates J. Michael Bailey in his latest book, The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism. Bailey, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University with a Ph.D. from the University of Texas, has been published widely in academic journals and is most famous for his studies of sexual orientation in twins. His new book, released in mid-March, has already created a stir, which may be exactly what Bailey intended. A primary aim of Bailey's book is to challenge the distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity and expression that has become commonplace in the LGBT community. "The standard lecture is that sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender role [...]