Sacramento State's One Book Program will be hosting One Book Day with special guests, Wayne and Nicole Maines. Wayne and Nicole and their family are the subject of the book, Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of American Family, written by Amy Ellis Nut. The book chronicles the family and their story as they come to terms with Nicole, who was assigned male at birth, being transgender.

Nicole knew early on that her assigned gender identity did not match who she is. When she rejected the gender assigned to her, she was faced with multiple barriers that she and her family addressed both within the family and in her community. For instance, the family resisted when the administrators at Nicole’s elementary school marked her as different and apart by requiring her to use the staff bathroom, rather than the girls’ bathroom. In 2014, Nicole was vindicated by the state of Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court when they decided that the school violated her rights under the Maine Human Rights Act, marking the first time a state high court ruled for transgender folk to use the bathroom that correlates to their gender identity. Her battle was featured in the HBO documentary, The Trans List. Nicole continues to make history. This fall, she will be TV’s first transgender superhero in Season 4 of the CW show Supergirl.

There will be two lectures featuring Wayne Maines and Nicole Maines, both in the University Union Ballroom. Book signings will follow each lecture. In-Queer-Y, a panel discussion about trans and queer identity and lived experiences featuring Sac State faculty, staff and students will be hosted in the University Union Ballroom.

The books chosen tend to just push along the edges, so while people may start conversations with feelings about the book or topic, they soon move into thoughtful, intellectual engagement with one another.