GENDER REBELS

A collection of queer lives throughout history.

Short biographical profiles of historical and contemporary trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and intersex people, each accompanied by a color portrait, are interspersed with definitions of various terms and information about their usage. A variety of nationalities and ethnicities are represented, from Callon of Epidaurus in ancient Greece to contemporary figures like Arab Christian Israeli model and actor Talleen Abu Hanna and Jin Xing, a dancer and TV celebrity in China. Household names like Laverne Cox, Jazz Jennings, and Elliot Page are mixed with more obscure figures. While the collection sheds much-needed light on many people and subjects, some elements feel less well considered, such as the casual inclusion of deadnames, or in need of greater depth, as with the framing of gender dysphoria. Additionally, key facts are omitted from some profiles, such as the tabloid harassment of the Wachowski sisters, filmmakers Lana and Lilly. In their single-page profile, the women’s coming-out stories are framed as empowering events, and the missing context about the events that influenced their timing will affect readers’ understanding. Due to the brevity of the profiles, which run to one or two pages, some loss of nuance is inevitable. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t contain source notes or further reading suggestions that would have helped guide readers in further exploration.

A broad-brush overview in need of refinement.