Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom

30 reviews

magsnificentmils's review against another edition

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Transphobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Gaslighting

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is a collection of essays many people will find challenging. However Kai Cheng Thom is among a group of people often overlooked or lumped into a monolith and there is a value in considering the perspective we've been given. Some points may rankle the reader and it is important for each reader to sit with those sore spots and research into it on their own. There are also plenty of moments for the reader to find a sense of poignancy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide attempt and Colonisation

atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

Wow overall a very interesting and informative book. At times I felt like the content was very heavy and dark, and as such had to take breaks from listening to the audio. But was a necessary read. Will be reading more from this author!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

nikenacs's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

One of the quickest 5-star ratings I've given this year. This came at exactly the right time for me, and I'm so glad I picked it up from my local library on a whim. 

Kai Cheng Thom covers three overarching themes in this book: Queer leftist in-community conflict, especially in regards to punishment culture and public shaming, and transformative justice. Sexual violence, especially within queer leftist circles. And trans woman / trans feminine experiences, both her own and in larger culture. (Very broadly speaking, with overlap as well as some other topics covered). 

For me personally, the first two topics /got/ me, I think I read this at exactly the right time in my life. Although not always easy, the essays felt like a hug that said "I know. I've been where you've been. We can try to make it, together". As someone who cares deeply about queer leftist circles, but is frequently frustrated and dissatisfied with The State Of It All™, especially in regards to public shaming and black-and-white-thinking, Thom touches on so many of my questions and anxieties. I had not yet done much reading into transformative justice, and I sure as hell will now. I don't think it'll hold all the answers - this book didn't hold all the answers either - but it's going to give me fantastic food for thought. 

The third topic touched me less personally, but made me reflect on the trans women / femmes in my life, as well as those I never got to meet, may never get to meet. In some parts - politics, celebrities, pop culture - it really showed that this book was written in 2019, largely drawing on experiences of the 2010s. I would be so curious to see an update to this for the 2020s, regarding an even more supposedly trans-inclusive pop culture, and violent anti-trans laws on the rise in large parts of North America (and elsewhere). 

TLDR: This book gave me amazing food for thought and I will be buying, re-reading and recommending it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Colonisation

atuin's review against another edition

informative inspiring

5.0

An excellent look at the problems plaguing queer communities specifically and leftist spaces in general. She does an excellent job spotlighting the issues with mob mentality, double standards, and tendencies to hurt other minorities. She does more than point out the problems, offering actionable answers to these issues in changing the goals of groups from punishing bad people to healing and to gently push back against self destructive behavior.

She also discusses her personal journey and feelings on the intersection of her Chinese ethnicity and her trans identity, and how the two compliment each other rather than clash. Her poetry is moving and conveys the emotional highs and lows of life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Transphobia

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

chelsearednecksrising's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, and Dysphoria

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

Thom approaches the issues within modern leftism with an understandable frustration and an unparalleled wit; this collection of essays and poems provide much-needed nuance and insight into thorny topics such as suicide (and the related responsibility of the community and agency of the dead) and sexual assault (including breaking down the perp/victim binary that doesn't allow for any grey areas). She also covers transmisogyny, racism, and class in similar depth. Despite these serious topics, Thom ends every essay with her glimmers of hope for the future. My favorite pieces in this collection were Genie, You're Free, if you should start to think forbidden thoughts, Chronical of a Rape Foretold, Complications of Consent, How Neoliberalism is Stealing Trans Liberation, siblings, Rediscovering My Identity at My Grandfather's Funeral, and Dear, Dear Life.

I highly recommend the entire book, and all of Thom's work (but please remember, she is only one imperfect woman, not a vessel for Leftist Truth!)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Stalking

Minor: Hate crime, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Murder, and Colonisation

katharina90's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A well-written, insightful collection of essays interspersed with poems.

The essays cover a variety of topics related to the queer community and the trans lived experience with spot-on critiques of cultural issues in queer and social justice spaces, and thoughts on how to address these issues guided by an ethic of love.

Poems that stood out:
-boundaries 1 & 2
-the witch's manifesto

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Transphobia

saphfics's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Suicide