A review by ellaroshea
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

4.75

this book was a kiss and an embrace to my little queer heart. it scooped me up and told me that everything would be alright. if i had to sum up this book in one word, it would be 'tenderness' -- it shows the most beautiful, loving yet so real lesbian relationships, the challenges and complexities within them not smoothed over. I wanted to cry with ruth and jess' relationship at the end, and how they find community. it was so interesting to see the differences between the queer community then and now. back then, it felt so much more uncomplicated, so much more practical and accepting. the protest at the end was sheer beauty, and this book is a love letter to community and organising. however, the violent brutality of being a queer person in the latter half of the c20th is not something I wish to experience. I'm so glad the queerphobia I've ever encountered stopped with homophobic re teachers and religious dogma. the only thing that troubled me was the fact that there is a sexual encounter in the novel in which it's unclear whether or not it's fully consensual, dependent on if being stealth as a trans person is okay or not during sex as both parties are not fully aware of the situation -- I'm not sure of the answer to this so would bear this in mind if this is likely to affect you while reading!
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