An accessible, thorough, curiosity-provoking introduction to gender.
In this historical and cross-cultural exploration of gender, Wind invites readers to expand their understanding beyond the oppressive limits of the gender binary.
Humans love to categorize, but just as different cultures have trained people to see varying numbers of bands of colors in a rainbow (three in ancient Greece, five in ancient China, seven in modern America), gender is more complex than a simple binary. Beginning with this apt analogy, the information-packed introduction clarifies key terminology, offers scientific explanations to distinguish sex from gender, compares frameworks for understanding gender, and prepares readers for a reflective journey through time and around the globe. The chapters that follow discuss the experiences and cultural contexts of diverse groups of people (and some individuals), including eunuchs, hijras, and māhū, among others. Throughout, Wind points out the recurring impact of European influence, but he delves deeper into the topic in the chapter entitled “The Colonization of Gender.” Another recurring theme is the harmful conflation of gender and sex, a topic explored further in a chapter focused on intersex activism. The conclusion emphasizes that everyone benefits from liberation from the gender binary. In bubbles in the margins, Wind inserts additional commentary, helpful explanations, and definitions. The conversational tone keeps the text engaging. Questions at the end of each chapter promote active learning through self-reflection, and the extensive source notes are an open door to further inquiry.
An accessible, thorough, curiosity-provoking introduction to gender. (author’s note, resources, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728414546
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Zest Books
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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