aruarian_melody's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Really interesting collection of essays covering a wide range of topics and opinions. I hope that I can return to this in ten years and mark all the positive ways in which we ended up doing better. In the nature of things, I liked some essays more than others. At times I felt like I would have liked a bit more context and details, but for the most part the length of 5-10 pages per essay worked pretty well.
My personal favourites were:
My personal favourites were:
- Leaving Bangladesh by Mazharul Islam
- 'Acceptance' in Brazil by Pabllo Vittar
- Seen & Unseen: Living between two stigmas by Mykki Blanco
- Ace of Clubs by Yasmin Benoit
- Know Thyself, or Don't by Naoise Dolan
- Single and Fabulous by Amrou Al-Kadhi
- The End of Forced Intersex Surgeries by Hanne Gaby Odiele
- Breaking Through: Centering the Needs of Homeless LGBTQ+ Youth by Carl Siciliano
- Everyone's Trans, Now What? by Travis Alabanza
- Allyship Starts at Home by Riyadh Khalaf
moss_wood's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It collated many of my most favourite LGBTQ+ voices as well introducing me to those I will now be so grateful for having encountered. It is a pretty emotional and focuses on what struggles we face as a community but by doing so it is hopeful as awareness can lead to change. The last section about community and organising is the uplifting and hopeful reassurance that the awful things described earlier can be changed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
missoliviareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
An essential book for our modern world - everyone needs to read this!
laviedevantsoi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
bea_666's review against another edition
5.0
'We Can Do Better Than This' is a challenging read, but an important one nevertheless. The scope of experiences covered in this book is great - I found it interesting and eye-opening to read about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people around the world.
In my opinion, the first theme of the book, 'Safety', is the most challenging. The five chapters highlight the atrocities and hate-crimes each author experiences. I found this theme too triggering to read at first, stopped reading, and had to return to the book months later. I'm glad I started the book again, because the strength and determination of all 35 authors in communicating their unfair struggles is clear to see.
The other themes covered in the collection are 'Visibility', 'Dating, Love and Family', 'Health and Social Care', 'Beyond the Binary', and 'Community and Organising'. I can't choose a favourite piece in the book, as each author's message is important and interesting. Amelia Abraham, the editor, did a great job choosing the 35 authors.
I particularly like that each chapter signs off with steps that the reader can take to combat homophobia in an intersectional manner. Although the book made me angry and sad at times, ultimately I was left feeling determined and optimistic about the future of LGBTQ+ communities around the world.
In my opinion, the first theme of the book, 'Safety', is the most challenging. The five chapters highlight the atrocities and hate-crimes each author experiences. I found this theme too triggering to read at first, stopped reading, and had to return to the book months later. I'm glad I started the book again, because the strength and determination of all 35 authors in communicating their unfair struggles is clear to see.
The other themes covered in the collection are 'Visibility', 'Dating, Love and Family', 'Health and Social Care', 'Beyond the Binary', and 'Community and Organising'. I can't choose a favourite piece in the book, as each author's message is important and interesting. Amelia Abraham, the editor, did a great job choosing the 35 authors.
I particularly like that each chapter signs off with steps that the reader can take to combat homophobia in an intersectional manner. Although the book made me angry and sad at times, ultimately I was left feeling determined and optimistic about the future of LGBTQ+ communities around the world.
saintpepper's review against another edition
3.0
DNF Read about 3 quarters, but had a hard time getting that far. I constantly struggled to pick it back up. Definitely a great book, just better suited to another reader.
oneoftheaudience's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.0