“An insightful analysis of the trans community of Istanbul and their relationship to the violence they face from the state, medical institutions, and their families. This must-read book makes an important contribution to understanding trans lives beyond North America and Europe.” - Afsaneh Najmabadi, author of (Familial Undercurrents: Untold Stories of Love and Marriage in Modern Iran) “In this insightful exploration of the intricate dynamics between systemic violence and the resilience of trans people, Aslı Zengin depicts with meticulous care the trans everyday lived amid cisheteronormativity, neoliberal governmentality, and authoritarian management of difference. With exquisite ethnographic sensibility and a profound understanding of the sociopolitical landscape of Turkey, Zengin provides a deep dive into the creative labor of trans and queer communities as they insist on imagining otherwise. The book is a must-read for anyone seeking to grasp the nuanced complexities, joy, and empowerment of trans lives and kin-making under conditions of intensifying state violence, familial abandonment, and death.”  - Ayse Parla, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Boston University "With her book <i>Violent Intimacies</i>, Asli Zengin takes us on ethnographic journey into worlds largely hidden from many publics: trans communities in Turkey, and specifically in Istanbul. . . . A rich contribution to trans and gender studies in global perspective-and more." - Susan C. Pearce (Turkish Studies)