By Annie Biebl

In a heartfelt evening at A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, LGBTQ+ journalist and author Nico Lang joined local readers for a candid and compassionate conversation about the lives of trans and nonbinary youth.

More than a dozen attendees gathered to explore Lang’s recently published book “American Teenager,” which profiles eight trans and nonbinary teenagers from across the U.S. The book captures not just the adversity these teens face but also the ordinary, beautiful moments of adolescence, friendship, self-discovery, joy and growth that resonate with most teens.

David Heitstuman, CEO of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, helped organize the event and joined Lang for the discussion, guiding the evening with thoughtful reflections and questions about the book and Lang’s writing process.

“There are so many magical moments that are personal to the kids in the book, and they are mostly about life and less about their transness,” Heitstuman said.

Lang, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, spent over a year traveling throughout the country, interviewing the teens and immersing themselves in their stories. After another year of writing, Lang released “American Teenager” in October and began an independent book tour that has been ongoing since September. Each of the over 40 stops — from Boston, Massachusetts to Pensacola, Florida — is planned personally by Lang, who invests their own time and resources to share the book’s message.

“It’s so important right now for these kids and for the literal future of this country to get people talking about this, to get people caring about this, to get them to do something,” Lang said. “I’m just gonna ride this wave as long as I possibly can.”

The event offered attendees more than just a chance to meet Lang and have their copy of “American Teenager” signed. For attendee Hunter Hom, it was an important moment of affirmation and connection in what feels like a tense and isolating time for the queer community.

“Finding other queer people to be around is one of the most healing things for me,” Hom said. “It just makes me feel a lot better when I see other people being accepted for who they are.”

Lang said they’ve been working closely with trans youth and their families since 2016, helping to share their stories in ways that reflect their lived realities. Without these voices, Lang said, the public narrative is often shaped by fear and misinformation, allowing right-wing politicians to manipulate the conversation and justify discrimination against trans and nonbinary youth.

“In order to stop discriminating against these kids, we need to learn to empathize with them,” Lang said. “We need to fall in love with their stories.”

For Lang, every stop on the tour — whether drawing a crowd of two or 120 — presents an opportunity to build real connection and spark meaningful conversation.

“It’s not about numbers or the bodies in the room,” they said. “It’s the quality of the people and it’s the quality of the conversations. Having people be so engaged and so thoughtful and really be present with me — it means as much to me, if not more to me, than it does to the people here.”

Lang’s unique approach to storytelling centers on the quiet, human truths often overshadowed by public discourse. While the teens profiled in “American Teenager” each navigate varying degrees of acceptance and freedom, Lang said that many have also found themselves thrust into activist roles — some willingly, others out of necessity. 

“I think a lot of kiddos get really sick of advocacy. Not because it’s wrong, but because it’s become exhausting for them,” Lang explained, as they referenced one of the teens in the book who came out as trans at 10 years old and had to take on the overwhelming task of educating not only his family but nearly his entire community, in the hopes of finding support and understanding.

Attendees agreed that many trans and nonbinary youth simply want the chance to live their lives, grow and experience the world uninterrupted by their gender identity, just as any young person would. While their individual stories widely differ, as shown in Lang’s book, what connects them is a shared desire to express their true selves without apology.

One story in the book particularly stood out to Hom for its focus on the experience of a Muslim-American teenager. “His story really stuck out to me because I feel like so many trans stories are about white people, and it was so refreshing to have a story about someone who wasn’t white and wasn’t Christian,” Hom said.

At the core of Lang’s work is a deep commitment to honoring the full humanity of trans and nonbinary youth. With over a decade of experience in journalism, Lang isn’t just telling stories — they’re actively creating spaces for empathy, connection, understanding and queer joy.

Readers can follow Lang’s book tour and their LGBTQ+ reporting on their Instagram @QueerNewsDaily.  

A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove regularly hosts events that amplify marginalized voices, offering a welcoming space for diverse perspectives. Upcoming events can be viewed on the store’s Eventbrite.

The Sacramento LGBT Community Center also offers a range of upcoming events and activities aimed at supporting and engaging the local queer community, including Trans Support Groups, Queer Yoga and Empowerment workshops. Additional details about these events are available on the Center’s events page.

This story was written by Annie Biebl, a student at Sacramento State.

This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Support stories like these here, and sign up for our monthly newsletter.