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A review by sauvageloup
Queer, There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
an important book with a good effort but its tone and details missed the mark somewhat
pros:
- brilliant that such a book exists and I love the idea very much
- I had heard of very few of these people so it was educational for me definitely and it made me want to learn more about them
- bringing to light lesser known queer histories is so important, not just so we remember how hard rights were fought for, but who did that fighting and how it was achieved.
- as it was written in 2017, I do wonder how the author would update it now and reflect the current situation, especially in the United states where rights have slipped backwards.
- I did appreciate that the writing was accessible and friendly to a younger audience and was not difficult at all to read in a literal sense.
- I especially liked the introduction actually highlighting where each country/region stands and its rough history, including native peoples.
- I did also appreciate how it included trans and nonbinary people a great deal and treated pronouns with great thoughtfulness. it also highlighted how trans ppl helped fight for gay rights, and then weren't supported in return - it's so important for queer ppl to back each other.
cons:
- others have highlighted that ita a fairly white and US/western focused detailing of queer history. I would have enjoyed something more on indigenous peoples and Africans, but Prager does discuss this, about how she struggled to find the detail to do it.
- I think a lot of nuance was missed, that was my main issue. I'm aware I'm not the target audience (a teenager) but this was VERY broad strokes and I felt especially with the ancient figures there was a lot of.. hand waving going on. like, it was never mentioned that Joan of Arc's voices could have been schizophrenia, or could have been a ploy so she could enact her plans. that Elabalus is depicted as just a fabulous emperor and the question of the consent of her lovers isnt touched upon at all, nor how Roman's may have accepted sex with young boys, but that's not a good thing or a queer win? also sylvia rivera having to turn tricks at 10 years old fo survive... there wasnt a mention of what a tragedy that is. it was briefly mentioned how Kristina had absolutely no forward thinking ideas on women's rights, but just considered themself not quite one, but this was never discussed.
- so the tone felt off in places to me. it might be for teenagers but Prager addresses some very dark and troubled history, with rape, torture, persecution, and her inserts of sarcasm and lightheadedness feel entirely off at times. I suppose it's meant to be uplifting but I think we should acknowledge the depth of awfulness too, without forcing a lightness.
- so the book couldnt decide what it wanted to be, I think, a light and joyful touch on queer history, or addressing the horrors queer ppl have faced (like the harrowing account of Josef Kohout) and I dont think it could be both.
overall, an informative read that was both upsetting and uplifting, but had some conflict in the tone of writing when trying to convey both of these feelings.
pros:
- brilliant that such a book exists and I love the idea very much
- I had heard of very few of these people so it was educational for me definitely and it made me want to learn more about them
- bringing to light lesser known queer histories is so important, not just so we remember how hard rights were fought for, but who did that fighting and how it was achieved.
- as it was written in 2017, I do wonder how the author would update it now and reflect the current situation, especially in the United states where rights have slipped backwards.
- I did appreciate that the writing was accessible and friendly to a younger audience and was not difficult at all to read in a literal sense.
- I especially liked the introduction actually highlighting where each country/region stands and its rough history, including native peoples.
- I did also appreciate how it included trans and nonbinary people a great deal and treated pronouns with great thoughtfulness. it also highlighted how trans ppl helped fight for gay rights, and then weren't supported in return - it's so important for queer ppl to back each other.
cons:
- others have highlighted that ita a fairly white and US/western focused detailing of queer history. I would have enjoyed something more on indigenous peoples and Africans, but Prager does discuss this, about how she struggled to find the detail to do it.
- I think a lot of nuance was missed, that was my main issue. I'm aware I'm not the target audience (a teenager) but this was VERY broad strokes and I felt especially with the ancient figures there was a lot of.. hand waving going on. like, it was never mentioned that Joan of Arc's voices could have been schizophrenia, or could have been a ploy so she could enact her plans. that Elabalus is depicted as just a fabulous emperor and the question of the consent of her lovers isnt touched upon at all, nor how Roman's may have accepted sex with young boys, but that's not a good thing or a queer win? also sylvia rivera having to turn tricks at 10 years old fo survive... there wasnt a mention of what a tragedy that is. it was briefly mentioned how Kristina had absolutely no forward thinking ideas on women's rights, but just considered themself not quite one, but this was never discussed.
- so the tone felt off in places to me. it might be for teenagers but Prager addresses some very dark and troubled history, with rape, torture, persecution, and her inserts of sarcasm and lightheadedness feel entirely off at times. I suppose it's meant to be uplifting but I think we should acknowledge the depth of awfulness too, without forcing a lightness.
- so the book couldnt decide what it wanted to be, I think, a light and joyful touch on queer history, or addressing the horrors queer ppl have faced (like the harrowing account of Josef Kohout) and I dont think it could be both.
overall, an informative read that was both upsetting and uplifting, but had some conflict in the tone of writing when trying to convey both of these feelings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Police brutality, Outing, Dysphoria, and War
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, and Colonisation
most triggers are touched on very briefly but can be graphic in that short description