Rating: ★★☆☆☆
I take issue with a few things in this book.
First of all, I feel like there were many conflicting statements. There would be one statement, and then chapters later there would be something that contradicted it. For example, it was claimed that LGBT people are rarely seen in the media, but then stated that people might be inspired to come out when they see/hear about LGBT individuals on TV which is constantly happening. It was also claimed that being trans is "being born in the wrong body", but then it stated later that being trans is a choice/preference and can change daily. I distinctly remember the phrase "changing your gender", which just doesn't seem correct or very sensitive. Overall, I was not fond of how being LGBT was referred to as a "preference"; I don't really know why. The last major contradiction I had a problem with was how in the coming out chapter, sexuality/gender identity are referred to as central factors of someone's personhood (and that's why coming out is so important/a big deal/monumentally liberating), but then in the last chapter, the book emphasizes that being LGBT is "just a little bit" of a person's life and it's just one of many personality traits, likening sexuality to hobbies.
Other than the contradictions, some parts of this book were just spreading bad messages. In the section on online dating, the book says "If you don't give your age, weight, and height, people will assume you're old, fat, and tiny." I have never in my life seen a dating profile that included someone's weight, and only a fraction include their height. Yeah, not including your age can be sketchy, but nothing gives anyone the right to assume things about you, especially such shallow things. Or maybe you dodge a bullet when they don't match with you because you're too "old, fat, and tiny."
Two stars because I still liked the author's voice. The content was told in a funny and creative way, and in some ways the book did open my eyes to things I didn't consider before.
No comments:
Post a Comment