Jack Turban, MD, MHS, is a Harvard, Yale, and Stanford-trained child and adolescent psychiatrist and founding director of the Gender Psychiatry Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is an internationally recognized researcher and clinician whose expertise and research on the mental health of transgender youth have been cited in legislative debates and major federal court cases regarding the civil rights of transgender people in the United States. He is also a frequent contributor to The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, Scientific American, and more. He has appeared on numerous programs, including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and PBS NewsHour.
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“This is a book I wish had existed when I was a kid! It provides a thorough review of the current state of trans-affirming care, as well as an invaluable look back at how we got here. Dr. Turban has provided a resource that will empower trans and nonbinary people everywhere, as well as those who love and want to support them.”
– Jazz Jennings, author of Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen and I Am Jazz, and star of the award-winning docuseries I Am Jazz
“Free to Be deftly balances explaining the rigorous science behind gender identity with sharing powerful stories that bring that science to life. It’s a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand how we can truly help all our children thrive.”
– Chelsea Clinton, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted
“In a climate riddled with active attempts to spread lies and propaganda about transgender people, particularly trans kids, Free to Be is essential reading. Grounded in science, medical expertise, and the testimony of the many trans kids Dr. Turban has learned from, Free to Be delivers unwavering evidence that supporting trans kids is life-giving.”
– Schuyler Bailar, the first openly transgender NCAA Division I men’s athlete and author of He/She/They
“Caring for transgender kids requires using both our heads and our hearts. Free to Be is an accessible and enlightening book that gives us the knowledge, empathy, and understanding we need to do what is best for these young people. Anyone who wants to better understand gender could benefit from reading this book.”
– Dr. Mark Mercurio, professor of pediatrics and director of the program for biomedical ethics at Yale School of Medicine
“This comprehensive book is unique, being broadly authoritative and accessible for everyone from parents to teachers, researchers to mental health trainees, and practitioners to physicians. I will be recommending this book far and wide.”
– Dr. Norman Spack, pediatric endocrinologist, co-founder emeritus of the first pediatric gender clinic in the U.S. at Boston Children’s Hospital, and associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School
"Thoroughly researched and buoyed by empathetic patient stories, this ranks among the best guides available for parents of trans children and teens."
– Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Written specifically for parents — although also a wonderful read for anyone who wants to be more educated about the current political debates around trans people — the book is a readable, engaging and accessible introduction to the basics of what it means to be a transgender child, and the many options open to those who wish to transition.”
– KQED
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