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.