Book Review: The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World by Lee Wind

Publisher’s description

What if you discovered that the whole concept of a gender binary is an illusion?

While many people identify as men or women, that is not all there is. The idea that all humans fall into one of two gender categories is largely a construct created by those who benefit from that belief. The reality is that gender is naturally diverse, falling inside and outside of those boxes, and more expansive ideas of gender have always existed.

In the second book of the Queer History Project, The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World, author Lee Wind uses historical evidence and primary sources—poetry, ancient burial sites, firsthand accounts, and news stories—to explore gender roles and identities. Gender identities and physical bodies are as diverse as the human experience. Get ready to shatter those preconceived notions of nothing but a gender binary and dive deep into expressions of gender—both past and present—that reveal the infinite variety and beauty of everyone’s gender.

Amanda’s thoughts

Right off the bat, I’ll say one thing:

I do wish this book was written by someone not cisgender or included a co-author who was not cisgender. Anyone can research anything and do a pretty good job relaying historical information, but when it comes to something like the expansive history and world of genders other than cisgender identities, I would have loved to have seen the inclusion of someone from one of those identities included in telling the story.

That said, I found this super informational and incredibly interesting. There is probably no world where a person can hand this to someone who vehemently believes there are only two genders and they walk away understanding things differently (because, as we all know, for some, facts won’t change beliefs), but for those who already understand that gender is a huge, beautiful spectrum, this will reaffirm that belief. Wind walks us through history, visiting various areas, ethnicities, and cultures, and shows that gender has long been far beyond the idea of man/woman and that many cultures over all the years have celebrated genders beyond the binary. He looks at the ways boundaries of gender have been broken and expanded as well as how gender became constrained through things like colonialism and the spread of certain religions. Densely packed with information, this book includes little speech bubble-like sidebars and photographs that help break up the long text. Wind includes source notes and recommended resources at the end. Overall, an enlightening look at how understanding and celebrating gender diversity has been a long-held belief for many people and cultures throughout history.

Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9781728414546
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group/Zest Books
Publication date: 08/06/2024
Series: Queer History Project
Age Range: 14-18

Filed under: Book Reviews