I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Trans Man Walks Into a Gay Bar is a sorely needed book right now, with all that’s going on and all the pointless animosity directed at the trans community by certain cohorts of the wider queer community. Nicholas explores queerness eloquently, unflinchingly, and holistically. I’m confident that any trans person who identifies as anything other than straight will see at least a sliver of their own experience reflected back at them, even if it’s in an unexpected way.

This is a collection of essays- a problem I occasionally have with books of this format is the disjointed feel they can have, but ATMWIaGB has a lovely through-line. When I first picked it up, I only intended to read the first couple of pages, and got halfway through the book before I turned out the light. Nicholas weaves his personal experiences with queer history and culture so seamlessly. He’s raw and honest, and all of those other things we usually say in praise of good memoirs.

It can be extremely isolating to be a trans person navigating their sexuality, now more than ever. ATMWIaGB is timely and honest- like an interesting chat with an (intelligent and well spoken!) queer friend in a coffee shop. I believe this book will make lots of people feel less alone, and for that quality I highly recommend it. It also seems like an approachable read for cis people, queer and straight alike, who might be interested in the spaces where gender and sexuality intersect.