A review by zellapaige
50 Queers Who Changed the World: A Celebration of Lgbtq+ Icons by Dan Jones
informative
fast-paced
4.0
I think this is probably a very good introduction to queer history and queer icons. It is definitely introductory, with just a few paragraphs about each of the featured icons. I did learn new information about queer icons I was already familiar with, learned about others I had never previously heard of, and in one notable case (looking at you Sally Ride!) learned that a long respected icon was also queer.
Parts of the book though just felt off in ways I can’t tangibly explain. The vibes just feel a bit off. Some of the book’s language feels a bit dated, but not enough to account for all of the off feelings. The only thing I can clearly point to as wrong is the author claiming Martina Navratilova as “the greatest female tennis player ever” (110), which even for the 2017 publication date is a bit bold given the existence of Serena Williams.
I would like to revisit this book after reading more general queer history and about some of these icons specifically.
Parts of the book though just felt off in ways I can’t tangibly explain. The vibes just feel a bit off. Some of the book’s language feels a bit dated, but not enough to account for all of the off feelings. The only thing I can clearly point to as wrong is the author claiming Martina Navratilova as “the greatest female tennis player ever” (110), which even for the 2017 publication date is a bit bold given the existence of Serena Williams.
I would like to revisit this book after reading more general queer history and about some of these icons specifically.