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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Although the book was brief and didn't dive into any particular topic much, it did offer a pretty good overview of what LGBTQ+ encompasses. Compared to the previous edition, which according to its reviews, had some language and phrasing problems, such as the definition of pansexual, the language in this edition was overall much more friendly and validating. It offered really great resources that were geared specifically toward the LGBTQ community, such as The Trevor Project. One thing I did notice was that all the examples used "she" or "he." It's a small thing, but using "they" would be so much more inclusive and it wouldn't be necessary to have little disclaimers about changing pronouns to match yours or your partner's.
Although the book was brief and didn't dive into any particular topic much, it did offer a pretty good overview of what LGBTQ+ encompasses. Compared to the previous edition, which according to its reviews, had some language and phrasing problems, such as the definition of pansexual, the language in this edition was overall much more friendly and validating. It offered really great resources that were geared specifically toward the LGBTQ community, such as The Trevor Project. One thing I did notice was that all the examples used "she" or "he." It's a small thing, but using "they" would be so much more inclusive and it wouldn't be necessary to have little disclaimers about changing pronouns to match yours or your partner's.
This is a very good book and I recommend for every member of the lgbtqia+ community, whether you know your sexuality and gender identity already or you are questioning and have no clue. This is a great Pride month book to read.
They even used my name in the book in one of the drawing examples and it made me so happy
They even used my name in the book in one of the drawing examples and it made me so happy
3/5 stars
Teen life is hard enough, but for teens who are LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer), it can be even harder. When do you decide to come out? Will your friends accept you? And how do you meet people to date? Queer is a humorous, engaging, and honest guide that helps LGBTQ teens come out to friends and family, navigate their social life, figure out if a crush is also queer, and challenge bigotry and homophobia. Personal stories from the authors and sidebars on queer history provide relatable context.
Enjoyed the first and last parts of the book. The middle was kinda meh. I also cared less for Kathy's story. I don't know why, i honestly was interested in the start then it slowly faded away. It also feels like a book that came out in 2010. There are many more shows, books and films that feature lgbt characters.
Teen life is hard enough, but for teens who are LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer), it can be even harder. When do you decide to come out? Will your friends accept you? And how do you meet people to date? Queer is a humorous, engaging, and honest guide that helps LGBTQ teens come out to friends and family, navigate their social life, figure out if a crush is also queer, and challenge bigotry and homophobia. Personal stories from the authors and sidebars on queer history provide relatable context.
Enjoyed the first and last parts of the book. The middle was kinda meh. I also cared less for Kathy's story. I don't know why, i honestly was interested in the start then it slowly faded away. It also feels like a book that came out in 2010. There are many more shows, books and films that feature lgbt characters.
Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens
Book by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke
I think reading a non-fiction book based on LGBTQ is the most confusing thing to describe. The book is divided into so many sections like homophobia, what it means to be queer, dating, and sex, this guidebook offers upfront advice and information for teens who think they may be (or know they are) lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. There're some personal experiences too. Don't know how to write on this topic, because I can relate to these things and these things are becoming more confusing. Though LGBTQ is about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, but there are also some other sexual phases too. Like Pansexual, Asexual, Allosexual, Aromantic, Heterosexual, Homosexual, Coming out, Out, Closeted, Androsexual, Bicurious, Demiromantic, Demisexual, Dyke, Faggot, Gynesexual, Polyamorous, Skoliosexual etc.
This is a pretty important book. In a time when teenagers are committing suicide because of bullying related to LGBT issues, a book like this is necessary. It offers a great deal of information and is written specifically for teens who are questioning or struggling with their sexuality.
Actually you can be attracted to anybody. You can also be emotionally attached to any person, why it should always be physical attraction, right?
Let me share with you something. I have a huge crush on one of my ma'am. Though I didn't face any bad things about it, even ma'am knows that I love her a lot. But surprisingly some of my 'close friends' started mocking me badly. I was broke. But fortunately I've got some good friends too who always supported me and gave me positive vibes about this situation.
Not gonna argue over this topic, not gonna stretch this too. I just want to request you that treat people as a human and don't try to stick finger in others matter. Thank you uwu
Book by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke
I think reading a non-fiction book based on LGBTQ is the most confusing thing to describe. The book is divided into so many sections like homophobia, what it means to be queer, dating, and sex, this guidebook offers upfront advice and information for teens who think they may be (or know they are) lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. There're some personal experiences too. Don't know how to write on this topic, because I can relate to these things and these things are becoming more confusing. Though LGBTQ is about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, but there are also some other sexual phases too. Like Pansexual, Asexual, Allosexual, Aromantic, Heterosexual, Homosexual, Coming out, Out, Closeted, Androsexual, Bicurious, Demiromantic, Demisexual, Dyke, Faggot, Gynesexual, Polyamorous, Skoliosexual etc.
This is a pretty important book. In a time when teenagers are committing suicide because of bullying related to LGBT issues, a book like this is necessary. It offers a great deal of information and is written specifically for teens who are questioning or struggling with their sexuality.
Actually you can be attracted to anybody. You can also be emotionally attached to any person, why it should always be physical attraction, right?
Let me share with you something. I have a huge crush on one of my ma'am. Though I didn't face any bad things about it, even ma'am knows that I love her a lot. But surprisingly some of my 'close friends' started mocking me badly. I was broke. But fortunately I've got some good friends too who always supported me and gave me positive vibes about this situation.
Not gonna argue over this topic, not gonna stretch this too. I just want to request you that treat people as a human and don't try to stick finger in others matter. Thank you uwu
First, this is a great book to use as an introduction to being queer for questioning or newly identifying teens (and adults) or for parents of queer teens. However, this should NOT be the only resource you use. It is not completely comprehensive about the entire LGBTQ community and it doesn't have to be. The only critism I have is that language is very gendered which means it's not inclusive to gender nonconforming folx or nonbinary folx.
Second, it is excellent that they list a bunch of resources at the end so that you can further your education.
My favorite line is in the conclusion of the book: "Don't take any progress for granted" (191). This goes for LGBTQ rights as well as the journey queer people go on through their growing up.
Second, it is excellent that they list a bunch of resources at the end so that you can further your education.
My favorite line is in the conclusion of the book: "Don't take any progress for granted" (191). This goes for LGBTQ rights as well as the journey queer people go on through their growing up.
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I wanted to love this, but this book is terribly inaccurate and outdated.
While a lot of its information is relatively good, there are some things that wildly inaccurate regarding identities, particularly trans identities and how they relate to sexual identities. (For example, the book says that pansexuals are like bisexuals except they are also attracted to trans people. That's literally just completely wrong.)
It's also very cissexist & binaristic, talking about "both" genders and "both" sexes. It also doesn't at all talk about some of the big issues for trans people, such as medically and socially transitioning. It very much focuses on the LGB, but completely leaves out the T.
Overall, very much not a fan & DEFINITELY would not recommend.
While a lot of its information is relatively good, there are some things that wildly inaccurate regarding identities, particularly trans identities and how they relate to sexual identities. (For example, the book says that pansexuals are like bisexuals except they are also attracted to trans people. That's literally just completely wrong.)
It's also very cissexist & binaristic, talking about "both" genders and "both" sexes. It also doesn't at all talk about some of the big issues for trans people, such as medically and socially transitioning. It very much focuses on the LGB, but completely leaves out the T.
Overall, very much not a fan & DEFINITELY would not recommend.
informative
medium-paced
I think the book has a good premise, and there's no denying that it does contain useful information - such as the detailed resources section at the back, suggested reading, and a few segments/parts of chapters. But for a book that's intended to be the "ultimate" guide for teens, I think there's a lot missing in terms of trans, specifically nonbinary rep, ace rep, and aro rep. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's borderline arophobic at points, kind of suggesting that if you separate sex from romantic love too much then you need to take a look at why you think sex is so dirty and should be separate from your sweet innocent romantic feelings *expression of mild alarm.* I'm sure that this was not the authors' intention, however it really felt like exclusion that could have been easily avoided had an a-spec or a well-educated ace/aro ally looked it over.
I have the privilege of reading this as a person who's just passed out of teen-hood, and who has made it my goal to be educated on queer identity and issues - I thrived on and thirsted for that knowledge even before I knew I was part of the community. But when I think of teens who for them this might be their first, or most trusted piece of queer media, I really hope they take the book's advice seriously and do their own research, interact with the wider queer community, otherwise there will be some serious missing pieces.
There also wasn't really any mention of two-spirit people, or how being a person of colour can affect queer identity and perception in society. [I admit there may have been some mention, but if it was there it was few and far between and didn't stick with me. {which hey, I tried to look out for, but as a white person I could have missed to be fair}]
It felt like trans people were almost separated from the rest of the conversation of the book, often going a whole chapter talking only in a cisnormative way, and then throwing in a shorter trans section at the end - again I don't know what their proof-reading process was, but I feel like this could have been fixed with a trans sensitivity reader and use of gender neutral language - which would have been more concise and flowed better anyway! The use of alternating 'he asks you out' and 'if she asks for your phone number' as example people felt so forced and weird, when they really could have used they/them, or at least used it more than the ONE time they did. The chapter about sex was also really equating penis with boy and vagina with girl despite having a trans section - which really just said "consent is important before touching or referring to people's body parts" which is just-I mean-that should go for cis people too??
No mention of disabled queer folks, and there wasn't too much about mental health either if I'm remembering correctly?
Anyway. I now have a messy-but-thoroughly-annotated-with-my-dull-pencil copy of this book if anyone's interested lmao.
Edit: started browsing other people's reviews and immediately remembered the bi/panphobia (thanks arthur_of_camelot)
oh ALSO, they kept being like "oh make sure to check if your partner wants things to be exclusive/monogamous" "remember that monogamy's benefit is less chance of contracting STI's" ...like, okay but polyamorous people exist - I don't think they ever used that word, nor did they even really ever mention any form of non-monogamy as being a good thing/the only option for some people
I have the privilege of reading this as a person who's just passed out of teen-hood, and who has made it my goal to be educated on queer identity and issues - I thrived on and thirsted for that knowledge even before I knew I was part of the community. But when I think of teens who for them this might be their first, or most trusted piece of queer media, I really hope they take the book's advice seriously and do their own research, interact with the wider queer community, otherwise there will be some serious missing pieces.
There also wasn't really any mention of two-spirit people, or how being a person of colour can affect queer identity and perception in society. [I admit there may have been some mention, but if it was there it was few and far between and didn't stick with me. {which hey, I tried to look out for, but as a white person I could have missed to be fair}]
It felt like trans people were almost separated from the rest of the conversation of the book, often going a whole chapter talking only in a cisnormative way, and then throwing in a shorter trans section at the end - again I don't know what their proof-reading process was, but I feel like this could have been fixed with a trans sensitivity reader and use of gender neutral language - which would have been more concise and flowed better anyway! The use of alternating 'he asks you out' and 'if she asks for your phone number' as example people felt so forced and weird, when they really could have used they/them, or at least used it more than the ONE time they did. The chapter about sex was also really equating penis with boy and vagina with girl despite having a trans section - which really just said "consent is important before touching or referring to people's body parts" which is just-I mean-that should go for cis people too??
No mention of disabled queer folks, and there wasn't too much about mental health either if I'm remembering correctly?
Anyway. I now have a messy-but-thoroughly-annotated-with-my-dull-pencil copy of this book if anyone's interested lmao.
Edit: started browsing other people's reviews and immediately remembered the bi/panphobia (thanks arthur_of_camelot)
oh ALSO, they kept being like "oh make sure to check if your partner wants things to be exclusive/monogamous" "remember that monogamy's benefit is less chance of contracting STI's" ...like, okay but polyamorous people exist - I don't think they ever used that word, nor did they even really ever mention any form of non-monogamy as being a good thing/the only option for some people
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content
i mean nothing graphic whatsoever it's all just for educational purposes in the 'queer sex' chapter
overall very good and I do recommend it, but the beginning section that defines some of the more commonly-known queer identities has some misdefinitions:
it states that "Asexual and aromantic people do not experience sexual attraction" which is at least the correct definition for asexuality but has nothing to do with aromanticism. Then says that aromantic people don't want to have romantic relationships, which is especially frustrating not just for needlessly conflating asexuality and aromanticism, but that they at least (sort of) got the definition right for asexuality (no ATTRACTION) and then somehow couldn't figure out how to follow that exact same format to say "do not experience romantic attraction" and instead had to switch gears entirely to make it about behavior? like if you're going to conflate the two, you literally couldn't even just copy/paste the wording??
then when defining bisexuality, it sticks to attracted to both men and women, which is needlessly binarist considering they actually do include non-binary people and a decent definition for that right below
but the pansexual definition is the worst, with it explicitly stating that pansexuality (might be mildly paraphrased, due to quoting from memory) "recognizes genders beyond the binary" and makes it seem like their definition of bisexuality as "men and women" wasn't just thoughtlessly poor wording, but that bisexual people deliberately exclude non-binary (and implied possibly transgender) identities, while pansexuality is the like,, next step up? if you want to include the really ~*WEIRD*~ people, you gotta go with this extra special sexuality, was the tone imo
it's just really frustrating that is is specifically an "updated and revised" edition, and they STILL can't get basic fucking definitions correct *rolls eyes*
it states that "Asexual and aromantic people do not experience sexual attraction" which is at least the correct definition for asexuality but has nothing to do with aromanticism. Then says that aromantic people don't want to have romantic relationships, which is especially frustrating not just for needlessly conflating asexuality and aromanticism, but that they at least (sort of) got the definition right for asexuality (no ATTRACTION) and then somehow couldn't figure out how to follow that exact same format to say "do not experience romantic attraction" and instead had to switch gears entirely to make it about behavior? like if you're going to conflate the two, you literally couldn't even just copy/paste the wording??
then when defining bisexuality, it sticks to attracted to both men and women, which is needlessly binarist considering they actually do include non-binary people and a decent definition for that right below
but the pansexual definition is the worst, with it explicitly stating that pansexuality (might be mildly paraphrased, due to quoting from memory) "recognizes genders beyond the binary" and makes it seem like their definition of bisexuality as "men and women" wasn't just thoughtlessly poor wording, but that bisexual people deliberately exclude non-binary (and implied possibly transgender) identities, while pansexuality is the like,, next step up? if you want to include the really ~*WEIRD*~ people, you gotta go with this extra special sexuality, was the tone imo
it's just really frustrating that is is specifically an "updated and revised" edition, and they STILL can't get basic fucking definitions correct *rolls eyes*
informative
medium-paced