In honor of Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31st, please join PFLAG Cape Cod for a book reading and Q&A with Nico Lang, author of American Teenager, on Thursday, March 26th, from 7:00-8:30 pm at Hyannis Arts Hall (81 Willow Avenue, Hyannis - PARKING INFO AT BOTTOM).
Suitable for all ages, a social gathering with light snacks and refreshments will immediately follow the Q&A.
From an award-winning journalist comes a vivid and moving portrait of trans and nonbinary teenagers across the country, following their daily triumphs, struggles, and all that encompasses growing up trans in America today.
We hope you can join us for this special TDOV event in the spirit of community, solidarity, and VISIBILITY!
PARKING INFO AT BOTTOM!
And be sure to listen to an interview with Nico Lang on WCAI's "The Point" with Mindy Todd, which aired on March 17th and featured PFLAG Cape Cod
President Joe Lima and board member Anne Sylvia!
About the Author 
Nico Lang (they/them) is a nonbinary award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience covering the transgender community’s fight for equality. Their work has appeared in major publications, including Rolling Stone, Esquire, The New York Times, Vox, The Wall Street Journal, Salon, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
Lang is the creator of Queer News Daily and previously served as the deputy editor for Out magazine, the news editor for Them, the LGBTQ correspondent for VICE, and the editor and cofounder of the literary journal In Our Words. Their industry-leading contributions to queer media have resulted in a GLAAD Media Award, 10 awards from the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA), and three awards from the Los Angeles Press Club, including the 2023 Online Journalist of the Year.
Lang is also the first-ever recipient of the Visibility Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), an honor created to recognize their impactful contributions to reporting on the lives of LGBTQ people.
About the Book
Media coverage tends to sensationalize the fight over how trans kids should be allowed to live, but what is incredibly rare are the voices of the people at the heart of this debate: transgender and gender nonconforming kids themselves.
For their groundbreaking new book, journalist Nico Lang spent a year traveling the country to document the lives of transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid teens and their families. Drawing on hundreds of hours of on-the-ground interviews with them and the people in their communities, American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era (Abrams Press; October 8, 2024; U.S. $30.00; Hardcover) paints a vivid portrait of what it’s actually like to grow up trans today.
From the tip of Florida’s conservative panhandle to vibrant queer communities in California, and from Texas churches to mosques in Illinois, American Teenager gives readers a window into the lives of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Clint, Ruby, Augie, Jack, and Kylie, eight teens who, despite what some lawmakers might want us to believe, are truly just kids looking for a brighter future.
Reviews for American Teenager
“American Teenager is an incredibly important, humane account of the joys and struggles of so many youth currently under attack in our country. I pray this book will one day be seen as a historical work that sheds light in a dark world and that Lang’s message of love and acceptance becomes the story we carry forward into the future.” - GARRARD CONLEY, author of Boy Erased: A Memoir
“Lang weaves this broad bleak terrain with warm insights and a clear immediacy of message. Expansive and compassionate.” - GABE DUNN, New York Times bestselling coauthor of I Hate Everyone But You
“An evocative and authentic story of the love and resilience of transgender teens and their families. Lang’s storytelling is intimate and illuminating, walking a tightrope between the complex narratives of trauma and joy, without ever leaning too heavily into one and discounting the importance of the other. Simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming, American Teenager is an absolute must-read.” - RODRIGO HENG-LEHTINEN, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality
“With tremendous empathy and the kind of precision that only comes with a years-long commitment to truth-telling, Nico Lang amplifies the dreams, fears, and resistance of transgender teens in the United States at the current moment. Lang proves how rich the discourse is when trans youth take their rightful place at the center of their narratives.” - RAQUEL WILLIS, activist and author of The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation
“As a transgender woman who transitioned during childhood, American Teenager resonates deeply with me. With heartfelt empathy, Nico Lang uncovers the human stories overshadowed by political rhetoric, showcasing the struggles and resilience of transgender youth amid adversity while simultaneously amplifying their voices, which are all too often silenced. In a society where ignorance and bigotry seek to vilify the most vulnerable among us, Lang’s sincere portrayal pulls back the curtain to unveil remarkable youth who simply want to be kids... Lang sheds light on their heartwarming journeys, intense challenges, life-changing moments, and the true meaning of unconditional love.” - JAZZ JENNINGS, author of Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen
Parking
The best and easiest-to-read map of the Hyannis Arts Hall (HAH) can be found on Google (see above). Please keep in mind that Hyannis is an urban environment, although a smaller one compared to most. Parking spaces for shoppers, diners, and those who attend events are limited close to where they’re going, and parking a block or more away is often necessary.
From the east end of Main Street in Hyannis, HAH is located at the rear of the property of the prominent white-painted Federated Church of Hyannis at 320 Main Street, between Main Street intersections with Center Street and Ocean Street (Barnstable Road).
From Main Street, a well-lighted, gated walkway at the east end of the Federated Church leads walkers back to HAH. Look for the black chain-link gate next to the Taste of Siam restaurant, with its yellow “Thai Food” sign. Main Street parking spaces and on-street parking can usually be found nearby or within two to three blocks from the gated walkway.
If you’re driving, you’ll find Hyannis Arts Hall - a long, one-story white building with a columned porch - on the dog-leg street directly across from the entrance to Hyannis Transportation Center. The building and its 18-space parking lot is located at 81 Willow Avenue, across from Centerville Cleaners and the old Plymouth Brockton bus station, bordering the historic cemetery.
If they’re available, 10-12 parking spots are on the street in front of the building, plus 18 in our adjoining lot, including a handicapped spot. Many will need to park on Main Street or in nearby municipal lots, then walk to Hyannis Arts Hall. Ocean Street and North Street parking lots are a block or so walk away.