We’re celebrating back to school by reading Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir), one of the most banned books of 2021!

This intensely cathartic autobiography charts Kobabe’s journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Kobabe struggles with social cues surrounding eir assigned gender and its unspoken expectations. E is also aromantic and asexual and struggles with these feelings due to a lack of role models and information on the subject. Kobabe’s journey illustrates the experience of growing up with an LGTBQ identity while lacking the language and knowledge to make sense of one’s experiences. Written to explain eir identities to families, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity — what it means and how to think about it — for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

About the Book Club

NWA Equality’s Reading Between the Lines LGBTQ book club typically meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at rotating locations in Benton and Washington Counties. Reading selections include a variety of cross-cultural and Queer subjects and works by LGBTQ authors. The book club is open to LGBTQ individuals and our allies, 18 and older. Please fill out a one-time registration here.

Books are available through our local program partners Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville and Two Friends Book Shop in Bentonville. Follow us on social media to win free books courtesy of program sponsor Tyson Foods.