This list of 9 books about non binary gender identity will help you to have a better understanding on genderqueer and non-binary people.
Unless you live in some forgotten, dark corners of the Galaxy unreachable by Mass Media, chances are you heard about non binary gender.
This sparks more and more heated debates in Parliament halls as well as in little school boards and family dinners as it seems everyone wants to say something about it, albeit often without knowing the subject.
The outcome of such a debate is likely to shape education policies and media regulations in the near future and is as far reaching as it will also shape the way future generations will think about gender.
This list of books about non binary gender will help you to have a better understanding.
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For all
Queer: A Graphic History
by Barker and Scheele
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An introduction to the queer’s world in the form of a graphic novel, this book combines the main topics of genderqueer presented in an accessible language with powerful, impacting pictures by Julia Scheele.
Topics covered in the book include gender roles, privilege/exclusion, identity politics as well as cultural building of gender and sexuality and what contemporary biology, psychology and sexology tells us on the subject.
Beyond the Gender Binary
by Alok Vaid-Menon and Ashley Lukashevsky
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This book is the result of the combined efforts of Alok Vaid-Menon and the visual artist Ashley Lukashevsky and can be considered a breakdown of the gender binary.
It is a small, easy to read book, but the information it contains is far-reaching.
Alok’s style of writing has been praised by many for being full of kindness even when dealing with enraging subjects like transphobia.
Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History
by Blair Imani, 2018
A celebration of 70 women, girls, and nonbinary gender people who changed the world. It can be a great start for debates about discrimination and identity and it is a perfect gift for young adults.
Also thanks to the way it’s graphically organized, it imparts a very positive feeling to the readers.
It even has a glossary in the end including many words and concepts people should be familiar with.
Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation
by Bornstein
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Written 15 years after Gender Outlaw, this eclectic book contains essays, comics and illuminating conversations by a heterogeneous group of non binary people.
It can be said that all the works presented in the book give an insight not only into gender issues, but more importantly on what’s it like for people who are experiencing them in their lives.
Along with Gender Outlaw, it is considered a classic among non binary books.
In Their Shoes: Navigating Non-Binary Life
by Jamie Windust, 2020
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Jamie Windust wrote this book as something between a personal memoir and a self-help manual.
It really makes the reader feel like being “in their shoes” for a while, as it presents what it means for non-binary people to be constantly judged, made fun of or even harrassed and humiliated.
The amazing thing about this non binary book is that even while talking about such issues, it maintans a certain degree of irony that won’t make the reader feel heavy-hearted.
A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns
by Archie Bongiovanni, 2018
This is the only comic book in our list of non binary books and it introduces a subject often ridiculed by mainstream conservative media: the utilization of gender neutral pronouns.
More than just a whim, using the right pronouns is crucial in avoiding misgendering people and can lead to important changes in the way non binary people are addressed and described.
For a more Scientific Take
Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference
by Cordelia Fine, 2011
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In every debate on non binary gender identity, someone will point out how different men and women’s brains are on the neuronal level.
In this book, Cordelia Fine debunks this myth with the help of the latest research in neuroscience and psychology.
In her view, the observable differences in the functioning of adult female and male brain are the result of cultural assumptions about gender rather than physiologic differences.
Masculinities
by R.W. Connell
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Connell’s book combines her knowledge in the fields of education, political science, and feminism with around twenty years of ethnographic studies on men and masculinity.
Her “hegemonic masculinity” concept is widely cited in non binary books and the idea that masculinity should be a plural concept is one of the pillars of her reasoning.
Also useful as a basic reading if you are interested in gender theories as a whole.
Life Isn’t Binary
by Iantaffi, 2020
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Now the conclusions this book reaches are quite revolutionary: the description of bisexual and non-binary gender experiences are just a starting point that lead to the conclusion that binary thought is an obstacle to the solution of many human conflicts.
It’s not only a book about gender, as it applies non-binary thinking to all aspects of life, unlocking new ways to think about ourselves and relate to other people.
