Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant and poignant -
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 16, 2023
I just finished reading Maia's amazing book. It's a fast, fun and at times poignant read.
Gender Queer is a memoir in which Maia tells of how e grew up and learned to make space to live, thrive and find joy outside rigidly defined boundaries of gender and sexuality in American dominating culture. The story is deeply personal and covers the landscape of childhood and mature friendships, attraction, crushes, gender roles and stereotypes, erotic fantasy, masturbation, pleasure, dating, relationships, sex, childbirth, and marriage.
I found these landscapes familiar, and the episodes and internal dialogues relatable even when the particulars were so very different from my own experiences. The stories are at different times funny, cringe-inducing, sweet and painful. By the end I felt like I had gotten to know Maia and some of the people in eir life. I developed an empathy for em, which is really what the point of the memoir was, I suppose.
Gender Queer is an important book at this moment especially for cisgender folks like myself. Dominating cultures always tell people who aren't happy with the structures forced upon them that they are confused (or worse). Ironically, these cultures often flatter themselves as championing liberty. Those that wish to work for liberation must learn to empathize and listen to one another. Cisgender people must listen to and develop empathy for gender queer (and more broadly trans and all non-binary) folks if we have any aspirations for liberation for all.
Maia's story is a gift for those that will listen. Thank you Maia!
