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Thank you to dreamscape media and netgalley for giving me this audio arc in exchange for an honest review.
This book is coming out at such an important time in American history. This is proof that trans and queer people HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE! It’s proof how often trans and queer people have been the target in society and how hard it’s been for visibility and safety within this world.
Baume takes us on a walk through of the queer liberation movement as he walks us through the important sitcoms that were shaping our world at the time. Biwitched being an allegory for queer people—they’re coming out and fear of being othered. All in the Family who through its decade span on the air LEARNS and grows from the homophobia embedded in earlier seasons to mourning the death of a family member who identified as queer. After the uprising of Stonewall we see how the political movement changes the media made at the time. The Barney Miller show is born out of that era giving us major queer firsts in television history. But this didn’t happen without challenges, and nuanced views of the queerness. Baume continues to take us on the journey of other sitcoms that eventually aired and some that due to bigotry never met the airwaves. He discusses all the hurdles queer creators and queer ally’s go through to tell what was considered “cutting edge” stories for the time. We learn about how Golden Girls coincides with the aids epidemic and how forthcoming they were in especially in gay men characters and challenging marriage equality and coming out experiences. We also learn the history of using queer people as a plot device and how that is just as damaging as not seeing the queer representation at all. We are shown how pop culture navigated the landscape around the queer liberation movement and the legal progress made for queer rights and safety. This book shows us how important having visible queerness in media helps gain acceptance and momentum for queer rights and safety.
Everyone should read this book it is fascinating!
This book is coming out at such an important time in American history. This is proof that trans and queer people HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE! It’s proof how often trans and queer people have been the target in society and how hard it’s been for visibility and safety within this world.
Baume takes us on a walk through of the queer liberation movement as he walks us through the important sitcoms that were shaping our world at the time. Biwitched being an allegory for queer people—they’re coming out and fear of being othered. All in the Family who through its decade span on the air LEARNS and grows from the homophobia embedded in earlier seasons to mourning the death of a family member who identified as queer. After the uprising of Stonewall we see how the political movement changes the media made at the time. The Barney Miller show is born out of that era giving us major queer firsts in television history. But this didn’t happen without challenges, and nuanced views of the queerness. Baume continues to take us on the journey of other sitcoms that eventually aired and some that due to bigotry never met the airwaves. He discusses all the hurdles queer creators and queer ally’s go through to tell what was considered “cutting edge” stories for the time. We learn about how Golden Girls coincides with the aids epidemic and how forthcoming they were in especially in gay men characters and challenging marriage equality and coming out experiences. We also learn the history of using queer people as a plot device and how that is just as damaging as not seeing the queer representation at all. We are shown how pop culture navigated the landscape around the queer liberation movement and the legal progress made for queer rights and safety. This book shows us how important having visible queerness in media helps gain acceptance and momentum for queer rights and safety.
Everyone should read this book it is fascinating!
this was such a cute and endearing lil tale!
wow what can I say about this beautifully heart wrenching and vulnerable memoir that hasn’t already been said?
I’ve said this before while rating memoirs and I’ll say it again. No one owes us any explanation to who they are and the trauma they’ve experienced, but I am so happy Elliot is at a place in his life where he can use his platform to help baby trans and baby queers. Reading this book I felt in the moment with him. When describing parties or hotel cafes I felt like I was there with him talking about the issues presented in each chapter. The nonlinear storytelling also aided to that, my favorite memoirs do that. It helps share the story and make it that much more personal.
I have always adored Elliot and now I have a deeper love and understanding for him. No child should ever have to be put through the trauma and obstacles he was put through. Trans kids and queer kids deserve to be seen, heard and allowed access to affirming care that could save their lives. This book was such an important read and I’m glad he chose to make it and share it with the world.
I’ve said this before while rating memoirs and I’ll say it again. No one owes us any explanation to who they are and the trauma they’ve experienced, but I am so happy Elliot is at a place in his life where he can use his platform to help baby trans and baby queers. Reading this book I felt in the moment with him. When describing parties or hotel cafes I felt like I was there with him talking about the issues presented in each chapter. The nonlinear storytelling also aided to that, my favorite memoirs do that. It helps share the story and make it that much more personal.
I have always adored Elliot and now I have a deeper love and understanding for him. No child should ever have to be put through the trauma and obstacles he was put through. Trans kids and queer kids deserve to be seen, heard and allowed access to affirming care that could save their lives. This book was such an important read and I’m glad he chose to make it and share it with the world.
“Ahead of me there’s only darkness. It will swallow me. But I don’t panic. The panic is not mine to carry anymore. I can let it go.”
This is a tender story of love and grief and all the powers they both hold. It’s a fever dream of yearning. Longing for what was lost to return. Horrific at times, but in a beautifully lyrical way that will get under your skin and stick with you. The characters have such depth and intimacy to them all. I don’t think I have ever held so much empathy for an entire cast of characters from a novel before.
This is a tender story of love and grief and all the powers they both hold. It’s a fever dream of yearning. Longing for what was lost to return. Horrific at times, but in a beautifully lyrical way that will get under your skin and stick with you. The characters have such depth and intimacy to them all. I don’t think I have ever held so much empathy for an entire cast of characters from a novel before.
