A review by emilyredwood
He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters by Schuyler Bailar

informative reflective

5.0

This should be mandatory reading for everyone of all identities, whether trans, cis, queer, straight, etc. As a cis queer person who considers themself fairly well educated about trans history and experiences, I learned a lot, including about my own biases and how to be a better ally. The writing is straightforward, and if you're familiar with queer theory in any form you may at times think "this feels obvious" or "seems self explanatory" but to me, that's the beauty of this book. It's accessible for anyone at any point in their journey to understanding and uplifting trans people, and it could go a long way to educating and creating empathy in those who haven't done the work to show up for the trans community (and even those who have, but have the capacity for more). Some of the stories from the author's life got me emotional, mainly those about his interactions with trans kids, and the personal pieces helped drive the informational ones home. A really excellent, easily digestible book filled with important factual information and an incredible amount of empathy. Truly a must read, particularly in our current times.