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A review by bgg616
Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights by Kenji Yoshino
4.0
Yoshino is a Yale Law professor, first generation Japanese American and a gay man. The majority of his book discusses his own journey as a gay man, and a first generation American. The legal arguments he builds about conversion (pressure to conform to a heterosexual sexual orientation), covering (hiding or playing down differences such as secual orientation, religion, disability and more) and reverse covering.
Law cases included in the book include cases of women who were penalized by their employers for not wearing makeup, for wearing too much makeup, for styling their hair in cornrows. Other issues such as the penalty for mothers, some who hide the fact they have children to prevent being discriminated against for jobs and promotions, those who hide their religious beliefs (very pertinent today while I watch demonstrations at Dulles Airport in Virginia , outside of Washington, DC, because permanent residents returning today from certain country, are currently being detained by DHS).
The book is understandably includes a lot of legalese. Personally I find legal arguments often fascinating. Some readers, however, will not love it. Towards the end of the book some of the convoluted legal arguments lost me. Nonetheless, we have a lively discussion at my book club today, not the least because of the civil and human rights issues addressed in the book, and our current political climate.
Law cases included in the book include cases of women who were penalized by their employers for not wearing makeup, for wearing too much makeup, for styling their hair in cornrows. Other issues such as the penalty for mothers, some who hide the fact they have children to prevent being discriminated against for jobs and promotions, those who hide their religious beliefs (very pertinent today while I watch demonstrations at Dulles Airport in Virginia , outside of Washington, DC, because permanent residents returning today from certain country, are currently being detained by DHS).
The book is understandably includes a lot of legalese. Personally I find legal arguments often fascinating. Some readers, however, will not love it. Towards the end of the book some of the convoluted legal arguments lost me. Nonetheless, we have a lively discussion at my book club today, not the least because of the civil and human rights issues addressed in the book, and our current political climate.