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A review by callum_mclaughlin
The Gender Games: The Problem with Men and Women, from Someone Who Has Been Both by Juno Dawson
5.0
Considering that by the end of chapter one alone, there had already been references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sleeping Beauty, Bridget Jones, Strictly Come Dancing, Labyrinth and Carrie, I knew Juno Dawson's was a voice full of warmth and humour that would make the daunting task of dismantling gender myths an accessible and even fun experience.
There were so many interesting areas covered in here, and I had so many lightbulb moments, where Dawson managed to articulate my own thoughts precisely in a far more coherent and compact manner than they had ever existed in my head, giving the book that feeling of chatting through problems with a friend. One of these moments was when she discussed the idea that some people fear/demonise trans people because they're living proof that something we've been conditioned to think is set in stone can, in fact, be changed.
One of the book's other biggest strengths for me was how well it set out the difference between sex and gender; sex being the physical, chemical, biological and reproductive make-up of our bodies, and gender being the characteristics we project onto the different sexes (from as simple as 'girls like pink and boys like blue' to as complex as 'women are emotionally open and better caregivers, whilst men are stoic, strong and better leaders'). I liked the fact that she then quantified this by discussing the ways these stereotypes can harm both genders, not just women.
I also completely agreed with the brief section highlighting the reform needed in school PE lessons. Segregation of the sexes can not only be traumatising for LGBT+ people (as a gay guy who had precisely one male friend for my first 4 years of high school [he's openly gay now too, FYI] and who was bullied and ridiculed by many of the other boys in the school, I can attest to this), but the reinforcement of boys being taught 'male' sports like football and rugby whilst girls are taught 'female' sports like hockey and netball is seriously limiting for those who want to pursue a sporting future, not to mention outdated and insulting. Truly, some of my worst school memories took place in changing rooms and boys-only PE lessons because of my sexuality; I can't even imagine how much scarier those environments must be if you're trans.
Her arguments were intelligent, well thought-out and backed-up, without ever bogging the reader down. Moreover, I think Dawson struck the perfect balance between personal experience and wider discussion, speaking very frankly about her own life both pre and post transition (with a lot of self-reflection and ownership of her own mistakes and privileges, which I really appreciated as well). Because of this, it's a book that will make you chuckle and make you think in equal measure, and one I urge anyone at all interested in the notion of gender to pick up.
There were so many interesting areas covered in here, and I had so many lightbulb moments, where Dawson managed to articulate my own thoughts precisely in a far more coherent and compact manner than they had ever existed in my head, giving the book that feeling of chatting through problems with a friend. One of these moments was when she discussed the idea that some people fear/demonise trans people because they're living proof that something we've been conditioned to think is set in stone can, in fact, be changed.
One of the book's other biggest strengths for me was how well it set out the difference between sex and gender; sex being the physical, chemical, biological and reproductive make-up of our bodies, and gender being the characteristics we project onto the different sexes (from as simple as 'girls like pink and boys like blue' to as complex as 'women are emotionally open and better caregivers, whilst men are stoic, strong and better leaders'). I liked the fact that she then quantified this by discussing the ways these stereotypes can harm both genders, not just women.
I also completely agreed with the brief section highlighting the reform needed in school PE lessons. Segregation of the sexes can not only be traumatising for LGBT+ people (as a gay guy who had precisely one male friend for my first 4 years of high school [he's openly gay now too, FYI] and who was bullied and ridiculed by many of the other boys in the school, I can attest to this), but the reinforcement of boys being taught 'male' sports like football and rugby whilst girls are taught 'female' sports like hockey and netball is seriously limiting for those who want to pursue a sporting future, not to mention outdated and insulting. Truly, some of my worst school memories took place in changing rooms and boys-only PE lessons because of my sexuality; I can't even imagine how much scarier those environments must be if you're trans.
Her arguments were intelligent, well thought-out and backed-up, without ever bogging the reader down. Moreover, I think Dawson struck the perfect balance between personal experience and wider discussion, speaking very frankly about her own life both pre and post transition (with a lot of self-reflection and ownership of her own mistakes and privileges, which I really appreciated as well). Because of this, it's a book that will make you chuckle and make you think in equal measure, and one I urge anyone at all interested in the notion of gender to pick up.