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Reviews
The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate, Second Edition by Jeannie Gainsburg
randyrasa's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was terrific. Somewhat remedial, yes, but that is appropriate for the target audience. It is an excellent introduction to the subject.
aka_dogmom's review against another edition
3.0
This books is a great start but needs some work. The overall message is pretty good, but the another made one critical error that almost ruined the entire book for me... I really hope there will be a revision since some information was already stated as needing an update.
The disturbing error that was made is when the author discussed Bisexuality and the "original" definition meaning attraction to "men and women", this is in accurate and spreads the message that Bisexuality doesn't include nonbinary identities... IT DOES AND ALWAYS HAS. The Bisexual Manifesto clearly stated this even in 1989.
The part of the book that the author said was going to be updated was about the gender, sexuality spectrum. This is much needed as, when people hear that something is a spectrum they visualize a far left and a far right and everything else just falls neatly in the middle. This sets up a false narrative that things fit perfectly next to each other on a spectrum with a clear "order", when in fact there are no extremes and there is no middle ground. These identities are varied because people are unique individuals and not robots.
I was disturbed by the notion of "practicing pronouns" on your pets. The idea should be immediately followed by a disclaimer "Trans and Nonbinary people should not be equated with animals or seen as less human than cisgender people". While the method of learning may actually work, it comes off offensive and should not be discussed with Trans and Nonbinary persons. This is one of the key reasons that I don't think that this book is open to being used by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Ally is not merely for Cisgender Heterosexuals, everyone should be an Ally to those that identify differently than them. But there was no discussion of allies within the LGBTQ+ community, nor highlighted.
Another topic left out was that identities can be fluid. In one section the author discussed how some people "come out" multiple times in their lives. It was suggested that this is because they are still discovering who they are and learning terms that help explain who they are to other's, but this can take trial and error. While I am not saying that is wrong... I think it is also important to include that some people may have a more fluid sexuality or gender identity than others and they know exactly who they are at that moment. They just might not know what their identity will be in the future. I think it sends a bad message if you do not acknowledge this. People already question LGBTQ+ people when they come out. "Are you sure? What if it is just a phase?" By not clearly stating that sexuality and gender identities can be fluid, it leaves the door open for the haters to push their identity deny narrative.
The disturbing error that was made is when the author discussed Bisexuality and the "original" definition meaning attraction to "men and women", this is in accurate and spreads the message that Bisexuality doesn't include nonbinary identities... IT DOES AND ALWAYS HAS. The Bisexual Manifesto clearly stated this even in 1989.
The part of the book that the author said was going to be updated was about the gender, sexuality spectrum. This is much needed as, when people hear that something is a spectrum they visualize a far left and a far right and everything else just falls neatly in the middle. This sets up a false narrative that things fit perfectly next to each other on a spectrum with a clear "order", when in fact there are no extremes and there is no middle ground. These identities are varied because people are unique individuals and not robots.
I was disturbed by the notion of "practicing pronouns" on your pets. The idea should be immediately followed by a disclaimer "Trans and Nonbinary people should not be equated with animals or seen as less human than cisgender people". While the method of learning may actually work, it comes off offensive and should not be discussed with Trans and Nonbinary persons. This is one of the key reasons that I don't think that this book is open to being used by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Ally is not merely for Cisgender Heterosexuals, everyone should be an Ally to those that identify differently than them. But there was no discussion of allies within the LGBTQ+ community, nor highlighted.
Another topic left out was that identities can be fluid. In one section the author discussed how some people "come out" multiple times in their lives. It was suggested that this is because they are still discovering who they are and learning terms that help explain who they are to other's, but this can take trial and error. While I am not saying that is wrong... I think it is also important to include that some people may have a more fluid sexuality or gender identity than others and they know exactly who they are at that moment. They just might not know what their identity will be in the future. I think it sends a bad message if you do not acknowledge this. People already question LGBTQ+ people when they come out. "Are you sure? What if it is just a phase?" By not clearly stating that sexuality and gender identities can be fluid, it leaves the door open for the haters to push their identity deny narrative.
cdhotwing's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
maddox22's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Dysphoria
Brief inclusion of homophobic/transphobic slurs as examples of words not to usenguy524's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a fantastic way to gather some information on how to be a LGBTQ+ ally. The stories were relatable and were things people can/have experienced as an ally. As a social worker, this book helped me really understand what more I can do to be an ally and how to better support clients and students.
kazen's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't sure I would learn much from this book, an "Allyship 101" of sorts, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I didn't know. Gainsburg covers everything from the most basic questions to nuanced discussions in an upbeat tone that is welcoming to everyone. She points out that we can't change people's minds, but we can give them information that will hopefully encourage them to think more deeply. Want to know how to reply to questions like, "when's the straight pride parade"? Not sure on the nuances of gender and sexuality, or the stages many people go though while coming out? They're all here. I work in medicine so I especially appreciated the section on how to un-gender intake forms while making sure you're asking the right questions.
I can't say I'll be keeping a copy on my shelf as reference, but at the same time I won't forget some of the insights from its pages. There's bound to be some great information for you here, no matter your perceived level of knowledge.
I can't say I'll be keeping a copy on my shelf as reference, but at the same time I won't forget some of the insights from its pages. There's bound to be some great information for you here, no matter your perceived level of knowledge.
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