Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition

My knowledge and experience of non-binary and gender queer folks is shamefully limited (pretty much Sofie Hagan's patient stories on instagram), and wow GENDER IS SO BLOODY EXHAUSTING! I'm thankful to the author for sharing these stories. It's beautifully written and drawn, makes so much sense and pulls you through all of the emotions. I'll be recommending this book to everyone ❤

I guess memoirs are just not for me

I went into this with curiosity as I had recently seen posts about it being banned from schools for certain age groups. Having heard mixed feelings and opinions on this title, I wanted to read it for myself, however I think that there was a cloud over me about what I had heard against it, as I read it.Being trans non-binary myself, I feel disheartened by having this clouded pre-judgement of the book based on what I had heard on social media.I found a lot of myself in the pages, I related to what the author illustrated in the art and in the words. There were things that as a younger age I remember thinking, or feeling, but never had the words to describe it. I look back, while reading this, and thought “wow, that makes sense.”Even as an adult still learning and discovering this about myself, with my doubts and feeling like I’m not enough or don’t fit into this or that I’m taking it from other people…“I don’t want to be a girl. I don’t want to be a boy either. I just want to be myself.” Is something that even now as an adult I find myself thinking or even saying when talking amongst friends. Often I still feel like I am hiding, and pretending to be something I’m not because it’s what people expect.The metaphor and imagery of the scale resonated with me. That’s always what life felt like, like tipping scales, fighting between being who I am and what I was “supposed” to be based on societal norms.It encapsulated my feelings and emotions and experiences, it made me think. It helped me understand some things I had been questioning.Solid. Inspiring. Honest.