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The Queer Advantage: Conversations with LGBTQ+ Leaders on the Power of Identity by Andrew Gelwicks
katrinemarie15's review against another edition
4.0
Solid good read, ingested through a book club at work that I run. Was very validating to see so many perspectives across the LGBTQIA+ community proving it definitely "gets better" (aka The Trevor Project). Can recommend.
wellitseli's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This was kind of a slog to get through. There are 57 interviews in this book and many of them say more or less the same thing while a few of them say pretty much nothing at all. Would have benefitted quite a lot from a little pruning or a wider variety of questions, or both.
Gelwicks isn't a very seasoned interviewer, so the book is at its best when it's focusing on interesting subjects and letting them talk at length about themselves. When that happens, this book is very insightful, but just as often, it feels like the author is just going through the motions to add another name to the table of contents.
I can say I got something out of this but I could have gotten a lot more out of a more polished version of the same book.
Gelwicks isn't a very seasoned interviewer, so the book is at its best when it's focusing on interesting subjects and letting them talk at length about themselves. When that happens, this book is very insightful, but just as often, it feels like the author is just going through the motions to add another name to the table of contents.
I can say I got something out of this but I could have gotten a lot more out of a more polished version of the same book.
cmfvoices's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent book to learn about queer history and those who are currently making history.
chronicreadersclubnj's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Really interesting read! Loved the variety of people interviewed and the types of questions asked. I think it’s a bit over-hyped overall, but still a great piece!
Nice piece to read on the side or if you want snippets of non-fiction versus a straight through read.
Nice piece to read on the side or if you want snippets of non-fiction versus a straight through read.
mindyober83's review against another edition
3.0
“I realized I could gradually assemble a community of individuals who, although they may not have lived my exact story, nor I theirs, understand what it is meant to be judged as different”
The Queer Advantage is a collection of interviews with 50 LGBTQ+ leaders. I enjoyed this book, as it shows the advantages of being queer and how these leaders became successful because of it rather than in spite of it. I would have liked it more if there were less interviews and each one was a little more in-depth.
The Queer Advantage is a collection of interviews with 50 LGBTQ+ leaders. I enjoyed this book, as it shows the advantages of being queer and how these leaders became successful because of it rather than in spite of it. I would have liked it more if there were less interviews and each one was a little more in-depth.
yoursisterscanary's review against another edition
1.0
I picked this book up while at a small, independent bookstore and have regretted that decision ever since. Yes, this book is so bad the experience of reading it outweighed any warm fuzzy feelings of shopping local and small. Where do I even start? The premise of this book is interviews with successful LGBTQ+ figures about their rise to success and how being queer may have been an advantage. I do appreciate the fresh view of queerness as a personal benefit rather than a hinderance or obstacle. Unfortunately, this is not what this book offered. The author, a white, cis, upper-middle-class, gay, man, who rose through the ranks of fashion and entertainment through “hard work” (and endless personal connections and what I assume was family money), interviews big names mainly from those industries about their success. Forgive my crudeness but I struggle to describe this book as anything other than a neo-liberal circle jerk. With very few exceptions this book reads like the queer guide to bootstrapping and trickle down economics. Every single person asserts they got where they are by their own hard work alone. Nearly every person points to their queer identity and their work ethic as their only advantage in life. The main theme that really binds these interviews together is rich, immediately accepting parents. Liberal has become a dirty word among socialists and progressive leftists and this book will show you why. If you’re not an avid fan of People, Us Weekly, or TMZ, let me save you a read, the queer advantage is wining the birth lottery of having rich parents.