Book: Beyond the Gender Binary

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok-Vaid Menon is a book about coming to terms with who you are, and taught me about the painful difficulties experienced by those who find themselves outside what we consider the traditional gender binary – when in fact there is no binary, only a movable, changeable continuum. They ask how we know ourselves to be the gender and identity and sexuality we are – and how we define that. They question that being fully yourself needs to fit within a normative mold. I also learned some great distinctions – normal vs normative, and deeper exploration of my own (and my children’s, and society’s) identity – even more so because we share some of those South Asian cultural expectations. The book is tiny and a quick but deep read.

You may also wish to see this brilliant interview on creativity and being yourself.