Ace

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
By Angela Chen
Beacon Press, 2020. 210 pages. Nonfiction.

An engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that’s obsessed with sexual attraction, and what the ace perspective can teach all of us about desire and identity. What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience. Through a blend of reporting, cultural criticism, and memoir, Ace addresses the misconceptions around the “A” of LGBTQIA and invites everyone to rethink pleasure and intimacy.

Chen provides both an introduction to asexuality as an identity and commentary on how society views different types of relationships.  The tone is very conversational, trading between storytelling and late night discussion vibes throughout. I especially appreciated that the author never assumes you will know what something means.  Each new label or phrase that is brought up is explained, making this a great resource for people with varying degrees of familiarity with queer vernacular.    

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He/She/They

By Schuyler Bailar

Hachette Go, 2023. 370 pages. Nonfiction.

A life-changing, lifesaving book for anyone and everyone. Anti-transgender legislation has been introduced all across the United States in record-breaking numbers. Trans people are under attack in sports, healthcare, entertainment, school and education, bathrooms, and nearly everywhere else. He/She/They clearly and compassionately addresses fundamental topics, from how being transgender is not a choice and why pronouns are important, to more complex issues including how gender-affirming healthcare can be lifesaving and why allowing trans youth to play sports is good for all kids. With a relatable narrative rooted in facts, science, and history, Schuyler Bailar helps restore common sense and humanity to a discussion that continues to de divisively co-opted and deceptively politicized.

Sounds Fake But Okay

By Sarah Costello

Jessica Kingsley, 2023. 160 pages. Nonfiction.

Sarah and Kayla invite you to put on your purple aspec glasses - and rethink everything you thought you knew about society, friendship, sex, romance and more. Drawing on their personal stories, and those of aspec friends all over the world, prepare to explore your microlabels, investigate different models of partnership, delve into the intersection of gender norms and compulsory sexuality and reconsider the meaning of sex - when allosexual attraction is out of the equation. Spanning the whole range of relationships we have in our lives - to family, friends, lovers, society, our gender, and ourselves, this book asks you to let your imagination roam, and think again what human connection really is.

Before We Were Trans

By Kit Heyam
Seal Press, 2022. 343 pages. Nonfiction.

Today's narratives about trans people tend to feature individuals with stable gender identities that fit neatly into the categories of male or female. Those stories, while important, fail to account for the complex realities of many trans people's lives. Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of trans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance.

KJ