Reviews with content warning for Bullying - แด่การผลัดทิ้งซึ่งหญิงชาย แด่ความลื่นไหลที่ผลิบาน

I very much appreciate Alok's wise words and information in Beyond the Gender Binary. This is a perfect introduction for those who have little thought or info about the issues surrounding the gender binary, the cultural belief that there are only two genders, male or female.

I, as a person, try to be open and accepting of all people, but I recognize when I need more information to understand a group of individuals. I really wanted a piece of literature to get my foot in the door in understanding why or how my brain thinks about gender the way I do. I catch myself at times still thinking/believing in gender norms, such as men need to be tough and strong, women need to be clean and perfect. I can't call myself an ally until I recognize this internalized view that I have.

With Beyond the Gender Binary, Alok discusses the true struggle of self-expression, how it's something that is allowed, only if you are following the gender norms and not making others uncomfortable. They go into detail about themselves at a younger age being told they are "seeking attention" and told to stop their ways of self-expression. They do so, but it doesn't stop the endless bullying and internalized self-hate. Alok then takes us through how interconnected the gender binary is put on a person before they are even born leading them into adulthood. Alok then discusses the 4 types of arguments as to why someone doesn't believe in gender non-conforming people. A few of these examples I have heard before and Alok was able to provide reasoning as to why they don't make sense or shouldn't matter. I really enjoyed this section because they made many valid points.

Overall, I learned a great deal from such a small book. It was so informative and easy to follow. I will definitely look more into Alok's work and continue my journey to self-improvement and awareness.

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dojipengin's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

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katharina90's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

A short and succinct primer. I wish it was more in-depth but it's worth a read if you're looking for a basic understanding of non-binary and gender non-conforming people, and how the social construct of a gender binary limits and harms all of us.

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meecespieces's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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outcrye's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.5

A little too fast-paced for me, and the writing style (particularly the constant cutting up of sentences) distracted me a lot.

A good introduction though, and as someone nonbinary, the section about normal vs normativity was still thought-provoking.

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spark_879's review against another edition

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hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

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