This was a really interesting collection of interviews. I was unfamiliar with several of the people interviewed, so I’m thankful that the book brought some new faces to my attention. The truth is, queer people are in every industry all around the world. The purpose of the book is to investigate how being queer can be an advantage rather than an impediment.

We talk a lot about marginalization and discrimination, and those are very real. As a human race, we have a lot of work to do to give people equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, ability, or sexual orientation. While The Queer Advantage doesn’t shy away from the traumas that many queer people face, the focus of the book is on the flip side of that. The interviewer, Gelwicks, asks his subjects how being queer has been an advantage to them in their life and career, and everyone has an interesting answer.

I definitely recommend the book! It’s an interesting read for anyone, as these industry leaders provide some interesting insight into their experience. Of course, I’d especially recommend it for queer individuals who might be inspired by the way these leaders refuse to let their identity hold them back.

In The Queer Advantage, author Andrew Gelwicks features interviews with a huge and diverse group of queer icons as he explores the question “how does being queer advantage a person?” I’m very into the framing that queerness is a gift, even if my interpretation of why differs from many of the interviewees. I loved poring through this one slowly, really soaking in all the different interpretations of identity the folks interviewed brought to the table. What stands out to me in this collection is the sheer scope of answers given to the driving question of what makes queer people special and also the vast diversity of coming out experiences. The Queer Advantage brings perspectives from queer people of many identities and from many fields (politics, entertainment, business, activism, etc). It’s not entirely perfect in its diversity, and there was a notable absence of aspec people. That being said, exploring the vast nature of queer identity and what it means to different people was very interesting and I felt like I gained new insights from many of the interviews. In other interviews, I found there was a fine line between queer pride and queer commodification, if that makes sense, but nevertheless, I think there is much to be gained from reading this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

CW: homophobia and transphobia

This was an enjoyable book that looks at queer leaders around the world. Gay, lesbian, trans, and bi primarily. Honestly, there were mostly stories of transwomen, gay men, and lesbians. A couple of the interviews were of bi women. There were a couple transmen included. I wish that this had included nonbinary leaders because there are some out there. Perhaps not as famous as these people, but they still exist. The same goes for asexual people and others across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The people interviewed are also, I felt, predominantly white, but also had a fair selection of BIPOC leaders, especially with the intersectionality of BIPOC transwomen.

Overall, I did enjoy it! I liked reading their brief experiences and how being queer is an advantage rather than something to struggle over in the world. I can see this being a good book for those who are struggling to reconcile their queerness and career, as well as give hope to people who feel like they won't succeed in life. Because being queer is an advantage. Our queerness gives us an outlook on the world that is different than cis-het people and that's a good thing because we can strengthen businesses with inclusiveness.

Still, the interviews got a bit repetitive and they ran together in some ways. But it's a good book, one that is important for people trying to figure out what to do with their lives. It's a reminder that we do matter in a world that seems to be telling us that we don't.