A review by nb_leftist
Gender Nihilism: An Anti-Manifesto and Other Texts by Alyson Escalante

challenging informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.75

The version I read included the Anti-Manifesto, it’s Addendum, and “Beyond Negativity” (a follow up essay Escalante wrote ~1 year after Gender Nihilism).

I have read this before, probably around a year ago(?) and it was my first real encounter with gender abolitionist ideas. Since then I have written an essay or two on gender abolition and, because of that research, I’ve read up on Gender Acceleration, Gender Nihilism, and Xenifeminism, which are all  different areas or theories of gender abolition. In my opinion, I prefer Gender Accelerationism as I believe it has the most materialist understanding of Gender, but all of them being valuable critiques to the table. Gender Nihilism, for example, focuses on the ideological categorization of the gender apparatus but does not provide any real solutions. Escalante agrees with this and, in “Beyond Negativity”, seems to take a position closer to Gender Acceleration than in Gender Nihilism. 

As I said, I have written essays on gender abolition, and I could do it again, but I’ll refrain from doing that. I’d recommend checking this out as it’s short and free online.