As a middle-aged woman struggling to understand the proliferation of gender identities and expressions and some of the related controversies, I found this book written by two psychologists specializing in gender-affirmative care helpful. It certainly didn’t answer all of my questions, but it’s a good start.

Most of the text focuses on what the authors refer to as ”gender creativity” in children and teens. They dispel many of the common myths about gender and gender-affirming care and provide encouragement for those of us trying to be more supportive and inclusive. They also include extensive notes (about a fourth of the book).

The text dragged a bit for me at times, but that’s partly because I seldom interact with children, so much of the content wasn’t directly relevant to me. I do think this book would be helpful for parents, teachers, and others who regularly interact with children.

I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

This is very useful as an educator who spends a lot of time around the younger generation, who has a more evolved and nuanced conception of gender than was ever talked about when I was growing up.

This book greatly clarifies the differences between gender and sex, defining each and giving insight into what this means culturally, sexually, and individually. As a parent of a transgender adult child, I found that the author did justice to those whose journey has already begun, or is just beginning. This book also helps explain terminology that most people may be confused by. It is a book on acceptance, understanding, support, and love for those who do not meet the stereotypical definition of assigned male/female roles. This book clarifies a topic that is heavily disputed. I encourage other libraries to add this title to their collection as we grow our understanding and tolerance of what it means to be different from societal norms. Well done. Thank you!

This book was really something I needed to read. I've been trying to educate myself no on "how to be the best ally" but how to unlearn things. This opened my eyes a lot on when it comes to conversations that I might not know how to react and how to make someone feel safe, especially when it comes to Gender Identity.

It's not always having the right answer, but to listen and not judge. It's obviously not easy to always know the right thing to say or how the be the prefect ally. It's always important to listen. I highly recommend people read this.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gender Explained is an approachable manefesto on gender affirming care written by psychologists.

The authors speak directly to Millennials, Gen Xers, Boomers, and members of the Silent Generation, addressing common concerns and question marks lurking in the back of our heads on the issue of gender and the rapid changes in the way our society thinks about it (including what the deal is with reports of more people assigned female at birth seeking gender affirming care than their assigned male counterparts). I’ve read a lot about this topic and still felt like this book added needed nuance to my thinking.

I can imagine people who love a someone outside of the gender binary buying this book in bulk and passing it out to friends, family, and community members to help address concerns and dispel rumors about gender affirming care.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.