Parents' Guide to This Book Is Gay

This candid, open sex education book works brilliantly as a queer and trans version of traditional teen sex ed books for cisgender and straight youth that have been commonplace for decades. Trans author Juno Dawson's This Book Is Gay delivers an accessible, funny, comprehensive sex-positive guide for queer and trans youth who have been left out and ignored in this space. While any teen could learn a lot of great things from this book, queer and trans youth will especially appreciate the encouraging, self-loving, and positive tone. The book doesn't shy away from tough topics though, like the hate, discrimination, and assaults they may face, and their higher risk for depression and other mental health conditions.

While some readers will criticize this book for its focus on queer and trans teen sexuality, other criticism might actually come from queer people themselves. Dawson mentions a handful of studies with dubious claims like "gay men ... have larger penises," "gay men are more horny," and "gay men's amygdala regions in their brains are more receptive to pornography..." These may be included for humor's sake, but they could also be used to delegitimize the very well-researched parts of the rest of the book. The author also suggests that the "chances of being shamed and kicked out on the street for coming out is very rare," when this situation sadly still remains frequent enough throughout the country. The author also claims that "any stereotype always has an iota of truth," but in academic, research, and other fields, that's just not the consensus, and shouldn't be an idea that's being perpetuated. Aside from these minor critiques, this really is a critical book that fills a critical need for queer and trans youth and the adults who support and love them.