You’d be hard pressed to walk past This Book is Gay without showing even a slight curiosity. With its striking name and bright colours, it’s hardly a book you’re going to miss on the shelves. And based on the content within its pages, that’s absolutely a good thing no matter who you are.
This Book is Gay is a medley of queer glory, covering a range of topics including names, labels, coming out, queer sex-positive education and advice for LGBTQ+ people and their families who may be learning about themselves or others for the first time. Written using testimonies, opinions and experiences of over 300 LGBTQ+ people, this book is placed as a cover-all advice source, packed also with illustrations and practical help.
What a wild ride this book is! I’ve read several LGBTQ+ guidebooks and expected this to be a highly professional, objective look into the queer experience, like all of the others. Instead, what I found myself reading was a powerful, personal and hilarious approach to all things LGBTQ+, from someone who has clearly written from the heart and drawing from their own intersectional experiences. Although slightly outdated, many of the experiences both Dawson and her survey respondents relayed were very relatable, and I found myself coming away from this book with a greater understanding of myself, as well as the community as a whole.
The book places a real emphasis on understanding and compassion, but also one which makes clear some of the hardships we have and continue to face, whether this is in the form of discrimination, HIV/AIDS or the need to come out in a heteronormative world. Whilst some of the hopes it poses have been met, I’d be curious to read an updated version to see Dawson’s take on the latest LGBTQ+ issues, particularly regarding Trans+ rights, which are also covered well in this book.
For anyone who wants to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community, whether as a person coming to terms with themselves, a concerned parent or a friend who wants to learn how they can be an ally, I am sure every single person who reads this will get something positive from it. It’s an easy read, doesn’t take very long and addresses many of the issues people face due to knowledge which should have been provided at school.
Rating: ★★★★☆
This Book is Gay (ISBN: 978-1-4714-0395-8) was published in 2014. A copy is available to borrow from the LGBTQ+ Lending Library in the LGBTQ+ Lounge
