One of my biggest hobbies is reading. I have read almost every book in the school library, but I recently found a graphic novel listed as an award-winning book on a card, but I was unable to get: ‘Gender Queer’ by Maia Kobabe. This novel is a memoir about eir life and explains how Kobabe found eir true identity starting at a young age.

Kobabe starts by explaining how e grew up in the middle of nowhere on a farm with one set of neighbors. Eir family is not like traditional families. Eir parents were hippies and raised em to express emself openly.

E then go through eir experience of getting eir period, having to find a bra that felt right for em, and body hair impacts eir social life. Eir growing up leads to em having crushes on people of different genders and exploring eir sexuality. After exploring eir sexuality, e then explores gender and how you do not have to identify as female or male. 

Kobabe’s story continues with how e struggles with identity, dysphoria, and coming out. As someone who identifies on the transgender/non-binary spectrum, this graphic novel honestly helps express, in imagery, how gender dysphoria, coming out, and finding one’s identity feels.

This graphic novel is my new favorite book due to it helping me truly understand and express my feelings as a transgender/non-binary person. I love how e express poetically through images how dysphoria feels. The aching pain and twisted thoughts of validation cross the minds of members of the community. This is a good book for anyone who wants to learn more about gender and sexuality, not just people who identify as other than male or female. 

You can find this book at your local library or purchase it in stores. Whether you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, are an ally, or want to learn more about the topic of sexuality and gender identity, this is the book for you.