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tristan_f's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really fantastic book. The author lays out a framework for understanding how we hide different aspects of hiding parts of ourselves. This is something that I understood intuitively but didn't know how to talk about before reading this book. It includes elements of autobiography, law, and history. It is very well-written. The autobiographical parts are written in beautiful poetic prose; the more legal chapters are written in a clear style that is easy to understand. It was an enjoyable to read and I can't recommend it enough.
eandrews80's review against another edition
3.0
Yoshino writes of "covering," a fascinating concept that not only allows him to explore the current state of civil rights, but describe a method of being in the world that, while common among gays and other minority groups, will likely resonate with any reader. Fifty years ago, gays were asked to convert, to renounce their homosexuality as a pathological symptom or religiously problematic. Today, gays are asked to *cover* -- to push down the aspects of their appearance or behavior that don't conform to mainstream norms. In other words, it's okay to be gay as long as you don't flaunt it. While Yoshino provides many examples of relevant case law and eloquently argues for a new paradigm of civil rights, what I particularly liked about the book was its description of a universal experience, that of feeling the need to hide your true identity in order to escape ridicule and put the people around you at ease. A very thought-provoking read.
britakate's review against another edition
My friend Carolyn read this for a course in law school and sent it to me with her recommendation. That was two years ago, and I only just read it! (Sorry, Carolyn.) Better late than never, though. Yoshino's hybrid of memoir and legal tract is deftly woven. It was useful for me to think about the axes along which I tend to cover, versus those along which I'm more inclined to flaunt.
emilycm's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
i like the way this man's brain works. very interesting and thought-provoking ideas on identity and the act of "covering" and such. and a nice conclusion, but would have loved some more depth into what those visions of the future look like after the beautiful build-up the book centers mostly around.
shays's review against another edition
3.0
Although Yoshino is a legal scholar, his style is literary. Because he integrates elements of his own story within the broader argument, it is possible to locate this stylistic choice in his earlier dreams of being a writer or poet. But he chose the law, because “a gay poet is vulnerable in profession as well as person. Law school promised to arm me with a new language, a language I did not expect to be elegant or moving, but I expected to be more potent, more able to protect me.” However, his command of language, both legal and literary, puts him in a unique position to articulate the gaps that remain, and the legal challenges that stand in the way of bridging them. more
acreech's review against another edition
4.0
We read this book last year as a campus. Or, I should say, some of us read it. I don't fully agree with the author, and at times I found myself spinning in circles with his arguments, but in the end, it made me think a great deal about how I represent my True Self to the world. The book is well written, and the author uses his own story to illustrate the points he makes about the damage that covering can do to one's psyche and one's relationships with others. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in gender, sexuality, or identity.
thehonestpuck's review against another edition
5.0
My therapist recommended this book to me and I can see why. While few people are making assimilation or conversion demands on me, I walk through the world endlessly bombarded with covering demands. I highly recommend that everyone read this book, whether you belong to a marginalized group or not.
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
The term "covering" describes when someone must hide a part of their identity for the comfort of the people around them who do not hold that identity. Yoshino delves into many types of covering demands that many people face every day.
💕 For readers looking for 💕: equality, ethnic studies, gender studies, LGBTQ+ studies, a contemplative read
💭 My thoughts 💭: Yoshino really brings the term "covering" to life in this book. He talks not only about queer people being required to act a certain way in public for the comfort of people around them (covering), but also covering demands placed on people of color, women, people with disabilities, and others. I enjoyed this read and reflecting on covering.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
anareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Although I enjoyed the book. I have a few problems with it. The book is very well written, perhaps one of the better written books I have read this year. However, I can’t help but view “covering” as something we all do because we all need to live in society. Another form of “Survival of the fittest.”
I couldn't help but feel as if we keep looking for more reasons to place labels on ourselves. Why is it necessary to have a label? Just because I choose to try to get rid of my accent doesn't mean I feel as if I'm being discriminated against. It can be and most likely the reason is that I hate my accent..... period. Why is that wrong? And why should I be made feel as if I cannot do that without questioning it or being questioned.
I don't mean to say that perhaps in the early days of our country, immigrants felt the need to mask their accents, their way of living and any other foreign aspects of their beings. However, I can say with 100% certainty that the only time I ever felt discriminated against or made fun of was actually by kids from my own country when I first arrived in the United States. Perhaps due to their own insecurities.
There is a saying "when in Rome do as the Romans do" and we should keep that in mind. The fact that we behave like the majority of the people is not to hide who we truly are but because humans are social creatures and that's what social creatures do..... they conform so they can live peacefully.
Although I do not live in the shoes of the author and I do not know what it is to be a gay man in his world, it cannot be any different than any other man who is gay and made it through life without winning about it. I found myself angry with the author at times and my book wound up full of little notes and tabs ……. Very stressful reading for me.
I have to say that I heard the author speak about the book at had the same feeling during the speech. I wanted to get up and put a stop to the conversation but.... the rest of the room seemed interested so ...... I behaved as the rest of the room and kept quiet because that was the polite thing to do....
The book is well written. The author is very personable and those were reasons enough for me to give the book 3 stars.
I couldn't help but feel as if we keep looking for more reasons to place labels on ourselves. Why is it necessary to have a label? Just because I choose to try to get rid of my accent doesn't mean I feel as if I'm being discriminated against. It can be and most likely the reason is that I hate my accent..... period. Why is that wrong? And why should I be made feel as if I cannot do that without questioning it or being questioned.
I don't mean to say that perhaps in the early days of our country, immigrants felt the need to mask their accents, their way of living and any other foreign aspects of their beings. However, I can say with 100% certainty that the only time I ever felt discriminated against or made fun of was actually by kids from my own country when I first arrived in the United States. Perhaps due to their own insecurities.
There is a saying "when in Rome do as the Romans do" and we should keep that in mind. The fact that we behave like the majority of the people is not to hide who we truly are but because humans are social creatures and that's what social creatures do..... they conform so they can live peacefully.
Although I do not live in the shoes of the author and I do not know what it is to be a gay man in his world, it cannot be any different than any other man who is gay and made it through life without winning about it. I found myself angry with the author at times and my book wound up full of little notes and tabs ……. Very stressful reading for me.
I have to say that I heard the author speak about the book at had the same feeling during the speech. I wanted to get up and put a stop to the conversation but.... the rest of the room seemed interested so ...... I behaved as the rest of the room and kept quiet because that was the polite thing to do....
The book is well written. The author is very personable and those were reasons enough for me to give the book 3 stars.