Festival attendees at Pride Frisco 2023
Author Nico Lang will deliver keynote at Pride Frisco
MELISSA WHITLER | NBCU Fellow
Melissa@DallasVoice.com
Ahead of the release of their new book, American Teenager, Nico Lang will be delivering the keynote speech this weekend at Pride Frisco on Sunday, Oct. 6. Lang’s book, which will be available beginning Oct. 8, follows the lives of eight transgender teens across the country.
Lang said his goal with American Teenager is to expand the conversation surrounding trans kids. “A lot of the families who have been able to speak up are white,” Lang explained. “Families of color have more to lose, and we miss their stories in mainstream media.”
Nico Lang is an award-winning journalist, with extensive experience reporting on trans issues. After seeing the continued rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation, they knew that sharing the stories of actual transgender people was imperative.
“I had the resources to do it, and with the work so needed right now, I had to do it,” Lang said.
Because of their previous work, Lang already had an existing relationship with many of the families included in the book.
There was already a foundation of trust there that allowed Lang to get to their stories and present them much more deeply.
“I wanted to get the entirety of who these teens are as people,” Lang explained. By including a diverse set of families, they hope to present accounts that complicate the narrative in some way but still showcase love.
Nico Lang, author of American Teenagers
American Teenager includes Clint, a young trans Muslim in Illinois. Lang goes into the nuances of being a boy versus being a trans boy that Clint feels. “By centering his story, I hope to make that conversation more deep and rich, and showcase how Clint fights for that space to exist on his terms,” Lang explained.
The book also includes a chapter on Ruby, a young trans woman from Houston. While many LGBTQ people have faced discrimination from organized religion, Ruby’s Episcopal church has been a welcoming and affirming community throughout her transition.
Ruby’s mom, Molly, is a fierce LGBTQ advocate who has spent a lot of time making the drive from Houston to Austin to lobby at the state Capitol. Because of the increased attacks on trans rights, Ruby plans to move to California for college, leaving behind her home state.
Through a group of advocates for trans youth in South Dakota, Lang met Wyatt, a transgender boy from Sioux Falls. Lang said they felt a sense of similarity with Wyatt and wanted to tell his story in a deep and wholistic way. The two have done some press together before, but Lang felt they hadn’t completely captured his voice.
At the beginning of this project, Lang didn’t know what the book would become. Through working with the families, they were able to figure it out together.
“We first started interviewing all these families with younger kids,” Lang recalled, “but kids couldn’t narrativize their experience the way teens could. Often parents had to lead the conversation.”
In this project, they wanted subjects to have agency and some capabilities of self-reflection. They switched to focusing on teenagers, who are drivers of their own lives and capable of making decisions for themselves.
The book itself centers the subjects and stays focused on their experience. Lang worked hard to strike a balance with their presence in the book.
“I wanted it to feel like my voice spending time with these kids, and not like a journalist covering it from a detached perspective,” Lang explained.
The chapters feel more alive rather than clinical, as the reader can relate to the teens as people and not sensationalized headlines. “These teens are having grand experiences in the world, and I wanted this book to feel as fresh and vibrant as these kids’ lives,” Lang said.
Of course, the difficulty when writing about real people is balancing truth with people’s emotions. Lang didn’t want to present everyone perfectly, as that wouldn’t be realistic; real people have flaws.
“I worked pretty directly with each of the families, and was grateful that they didn’t do as much micromanaging as I expected,” recalled Lang. “People were okay with the unflattering parts.”
All of the participants recognized that it’s important for other parents and youth to recognize that no one is perfect.
“There can be this feeling that you have to be likeable in order to have civil rights,” Lang said. “I want queer people to get out of this idea that we have to behave the best all the time.
“If people are going to take away your rights they’re always going to find a reason, so we should just be ourselves,” he said.
In writing the book, Lang wanted to give the families that gift of being messy and authentic. For many folks there is a liberation in being seen as their whole self. The book American Teenagerembraces all kinds of differences, giving families the grace to make mistakes and continue to grow and heal and learn.
No one comes into this perfect, and there isn’t only one kind of family that has trans kids. By sharing their stories, these families are providing possibility models for others.
Bringing the book to events like Pride Frisco, Lang feels, is a good opportunity to bring conversations to local communities and to the people who really need to hear it.
In a conservative state like Texas, families with LGBTQ kids can go through so much trauma, and it can become overwhelming. For those who feel alone, this is a reminder that there is hope and a reason to keep fighting.
“When you read about people being their full self it helps you to be your full self,” Lang said.
Lang also looks forward to talking with attendees and hearing their stories. “American Teenager encompasses so much of what these kids have experienced and what readers have experienced,” Lang said. “I hope to continue that story.”
Events like Pride Frisco are an opportunity to connect and create space for healing. It’s a reminder that we’re not alone, and even if you’re the only trans kid in your town, there are other people out there.
And at the end of the day, Lang said, “I’ll sleep better knowing that I tried for these families.”
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Pride Frisco Fest 2024
Sunday, Oct. 6, 1-5 p.m.
Toyota Stadium, 9200 World Cup Way
Tickets are free with registration at PrideFrisco.org. Tickets are required for entry.
Keynote speaker: Nico Lang
Musical headliner: Raymond Salgado
Also featuring: Uptown Players,
Masala Nights Bollywood Dance,
Fit With Daniel, Dallas Wings Flight Crew,
Shane Allen and Oak Lawn Band.
SECURITY: Those entering the venue will be required to pass through metal detectors. No firearms or weapons or toys/look-alike are allowed. No outside food or drink. Bags will be screened. Anyone who leaves and then re-enters must go through security again. IF there are any protesters/outside agitators present, attendees should refrain from provoking or interacting with them. If you see any suspicious activity, alert staff, security or onsite Frisco PD officers.
PRIVACY: Private family restrooms are available through the concourse. Video and photos will be recorded. Credentialed media can record and conduct interviews but no amateur interviewing allowed.
ACCESSIBILITY: Disabled parking available near the East Gate. Mobile-assisted dedicated entry lane available. Venue is wheelchair accessible throughout. First aid professionals will be on site. There will be a low sensory/quiet area with a limited number of noise cancelling headphones available to share. Individuals can bring their own headphones if needed. Limited American Sign Language interpretation will be provided on stage. Service animals only allowed; no pets.
INCLUSIVITY: This is an all-ages event; keep things G-rated. No profanity. No outside alcohol. No illicit drugs. No tobacco or cannabis. No confrontations. No intimidation or antagonizing tactics such as religious preaching. No political campaigning.