This past month has been difficult on the book club mgt end (i.e., illness, 2 deaths of those we know, & more). Because of this, we weren’t able to launch our usual book suggestion & vote cycle out the door earlier in the month. So we decided to change our plans for June & support Global Pride Month, a month that brings together the LGBTQIAP+ community & their allies around the world to celebrate diversity & equality (along with Global Pride Day on June 27).
Vote Below on Which LGBTQIAP+ Book We Should Read in June
We’re celebrating by reading a book already on our web site that traverses the LGBTQIAP+ spectrum. You can vote below to choose which book you’d like to read. Different countries & different genres, & all written by LGTBTQIAP+ authors—most (if not all) authors who have experienced discrimination just for being themselves along with some authors who live in countries where being gay is punishable by jail time.
If the LGBTQIAP+ acronym is new to you, as Best Life notes, it stands for:
Lesbian: Female-identified people attracted romantically, erotically, and/or emotionally to other female-identified people.
Gay: Used to describe a number of things, including the LGBTQIAP+ community as a whole, a single individual who does not identify as straight, & men who are attracted to other men in a romantic, erotic and/or emotional sense.
Bisexual: Someone who is attracted to people of their gender & other genders. (Note: The idea that identifying as bisexual is a “way station” from straight to gay is an inaccurate & hurtful stereotype.)
Transgender: People whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Queer or Questioning: Before the 1980s, when activists reclaimed this word, “queer” was a slur. As a result, some still hesitate to use it to represent themselves & this term shouldn’t be used by someone outside the LGBTQIAP+ spectrum. When it is used, it’s a blanket term to define the sexual preferences, orientations, & habits of the not-exclusively-heterosexual-and-monogamous majority. As for the “questioning” subset, that refers to non-heterosexual people who are still questioning their place within the community—whether that means they’re unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Intersex: Used to describe people who are born with anatomy that doesn't fit the typical definitions of male & female. Just as there are a range of sexual orientations & gender identities within the LGBTQIAP+ community, there are also an array of biological characteristics that exist among those who are intersex. For ex: Someone may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, but without a vaginal opening; or with a scrotum that is divided so that it appears more like labia. Because of these features, intersex people's bodies (and, in many cases, their gender identity) straddle the two sexes. (Also, it is important to note that intersex is completely different from transgender.)
Asexual: Aexuality is also a spectrum. An asexual (aka “ace”) is someone who does not experience sexual attraction. An aromantic (aka “aro”) is a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others. A graysexual is someone who experiences limited sexual attraction (i.e., they experience sexual attraction very rarely or with very low intensity). Asexual people can often be romantically attracted to someone, but sexual attraction doesn't play a role in the relationship. Asexuals are not to be confused with celibate people (who choose to not engage in sex), those who possess disorders or hormone imbalances that limit sex drive, or those who are afraid of physical intimacy.
Pansexual: People who can feel a sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction toward a person, regardless of their gender identity or orientation. This means that pansexual people can be attracted to cisgender (i.e., a person whose sense of personal identity & gender corresponds with their birth sex), transgender, intersex, & androgynous people, as typical gender binaries do not matter to them. It's different from bisexuality in that pansexuals have no preference for a certain sex—they're more connected to people for who they are.
+ Meaning “not limited to”
Note: Not all who fit the aforementioned descriptions identify as such. It's best to ask a member of the LGBTQIAP+ community how they personally identify before making assumptions. But don’t be rude & don’t expect someone to educate you on their sexuality, gender, body, or background.
THE VOTING
You can vote from now until Mon., May 31 at 11:30PM on which book you’d like the club to read next. (That's NYC time. See this converted to your local time below.)
To participate:
1. Review the books.
2. Then, click here to vote.
We'll publish the anonymous results afterwards so you can get the book in advance.