Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

9 reviews

rubberrosebooks's review against another edition

I had very high hopes for this book, but there were so many inaccurate statements that I DNFd halfway through. This missed the mark completely and is a sad representation of only a small part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The focus on cis gay men was just obnoxious. The author sounded very transphobic from the beginning, and that theme was felt until I just couldn't listen anymore. This book could've been so, so great, but it was a huge letdown.

For reference, I'm a 30 year old pansexual woman from the Midwest, if that makes any difference ✌🏻

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Transphobia

kirstenf's review against another edition

funny informative medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Acephobia/Arophobia, Homophobia, Transphobia, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, and Drug use

junglejelly's review

funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.75

I wish I had this book as a teenager. It would have helped me understand what friends have gone through and my own questioning of my sexuality.

It's such a great starting point, not too academic and not too "simple". I appreciated Dawson not using euphemisms and just stating things as they are.

While I read the revised and updated version, I feel there were still a few areas that need updating (e.g. open relationships). But with sexuality and gender we are redefining them and they're changing all the time (which is a good thing).

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Deadnaming, and Homophobia

Minor: Suicide

bekahmccue's review against another edition

funny informative fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Transphobia and Homophobia

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

informative lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

I feel like it's only fitting to end 2022 with a banned book, so here we are! Am I surprised certain people want this banned? Unfortunately, no. But it's a great introduction to the LGBTQ+ community, breaking down sexuality, gender, and some of the history behind the LGBTQ+ community. I think it's  a great jumping off point for teens questioning their identity, and even for adults who don't know, either.

The tone of this book is really easy to read; it's lighthearted (for the most part), and interspersed with illustrations throughout. It's a really easy book to read, and I hope that it makes it into the hands of people who need it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Drug use, and Sexual content

Moderate: Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Biphobia

Minor: Deadnaming, Bullying, and Chronic illness

usually_sleep_deprived's review

informative medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Violence, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Police brutality, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, and Toxic relationship

finesilkflower's review

I honestly wish that Dawson hadn't chosen to include information about trans people at all. Dawson's writing about trans people was extremely alienating. I was surprised to find out that Dawson is trans, because a deep sense of gay people being "us" and trans people being "them" is deeply infused in the writing of nearly every sentence. (That said, Dawson specifically writes in the book about being a cis gay man, so I suppose she came out after this book was written. That sort of puts things in perspective, since closeted trans people can be a disaster in terms of spewing their internalized transphobia everywhere, but I still think that young people should not be exposed it.) 

The point where I stopped reading is when Dawson jokily responded to the stereotype that gay men are all feminine with, "Penis? Check! Yup, gay men are, in fact, male." Were you not listening to yourself a couple sentences ago when you drily explained that this is not how any of this works? 

NOT RECOMMENDED for anyone, at best condescending and outdated, at worst actively harmful.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia

anielabooks's review

funny informative reflective

3.5

Very informative book. Definitely something that would help newly-out or questioning gay teens and their parents. A bit outdated since it was written so long ago.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia, and Transphobia

cmae05's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia