An excellently set out book full of concise descriptions of all the words we deem necessary to each tell our unique stories. It is a one-stop-shop for information on particular labels (despite me hating labels and people being labelled, in general). It is highly readable and would be a perfect addition to the bookshelves of those wishing to keep up with gender and sexuality as it progressively evolves. A recommended read.

A detailed and wide-ranging text for understanding the complexities of gender. Holleb is thorough and balanced and never claims to have the "answers" on a subject so dependent on the individual. He explains LGBT+/Queer issues and debates clearly and concisely and with authority. There's some necessary repetition but the message is clear, accept and respect everyone's right to self-determination and fight for those rights where they're challenged.

An excellent resource. I will absolutely be using this as an editor.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC.

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The title says it all. This book is a list of words that we use when we talk about Gender and Sexuality. It explores concepts utilised in; Queer studies academia, activism and lived experience. I wouldn’t recommend reading it straight through. Use it as a reference work. As such, it is a useful addition to the Queer cannon. Keep it by your side when writing or reading Queer texts.

Really perfect book for those who want to learn more about gender and sexuality, a subject which is much more talked about nowadays. This book is very easy to understand and is easy to drop in when needed or read in one go to get a massive knowledge boost.

I tried to go in this book as someone who doesn't know much about gender and sexuality. I'm from a country that has a pretty elaborate sex education and it was okay. I can imagine if you're from a country where people are not able to speak freely about this, or maybe are too embarrassed to do so, this will teach you a lot. Even though I knew a lot, it was such an interesting read and I am definitely going to buy a paper copy of this so I can check back when I do come across something I'm not sure about

Firstly, this is a reference book, as in an encyclopedia.
Secondly, I read it front to back... *shrugs*

I wanted to pick this up for several reasons but the main reason was to learn. I wanted to know more about the different terms and "official meanings" or orientations etc. And boy did I learn a lot!
This book is filled with all types of terms and all of them are related to LGBTQ themes and issues. Even when the term is a normal everyday term, the definition and explanation are given in along the lines of LGBQ.
It contains all type of works form "Bottom Surgery" and "buggary" to "sexual orientation" and "Stonewall". It's filled with facts and explanations, but also with history and historical uses. For instance, did you know the pronoun "boy" wasn't used for a male child until the 1400s? Before the 1400s a child was referred to as "girl" as a gender-neutral term. "Boy" appeared in the mid-1200 and was used for a servant, commoner or knave who was usually male and young. Who knew?!
This book was stuffed full of fascinating facts like that. But it also picked up on struggles in the life of LGBTQ people, including intersectional LGBTQ people. The author doesn't shy away from other issues which makes the life of a disabled LGBTQ or a black LGBTQ person more difficult than a white abled bodied LGBTQ person. It tackles privilege and negative attituded in certain words and it can be heavy. It doesn't (in my eyes) glances over issues like racism, fatphobia, ableism, transmisogynist, transphobia, misogyny, etc, and they are not afraid of highlighting the issue even if they don't have a solution.
But all in all, I really enjoyed this read. I took my time reading a few words a day and learned a lot.
I highly recommend this to people who want to learn more about themselves or about friends and family members.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

informative book. Would be a great read for anyone that is interested in learning more about their gender and sexuality.

Thank you Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Netgalley for this ARC.
This was a really informative, useful book for me. A very useful book for anyone looking to deepen their understanding on gender and sexuality .

The A to Z of Gender and Equality: From Ace to Ze
by Morgan Potts
2018
Jessica Kingsley Publishing
5/5

Essential and empowering, this glossary is arranged alphabetically, and is about queer language, LGBT words and their histories. It explores sexuality and gender and the relationship between the two, to help other people understand the importance of inclusion, respect and image. It encourages empowerment through education-learning about the pasts ideation, and the harmfulness of oppressive labels and stereotyping can be. Its focus is liberation over assimilation.
It seems to focus on the trans and male sexuality more, for example the word Dyke, was given 2 small paragraphs. The word effeminate is almost 2 pages long, but still I find this an essential guide to make us all more aware, respectful and inclusive to help make this a more comfortable world, and an understanding of those different than us.
Thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishing for the e-book for review.
#TheAzOfGenderAndSexuality #netgalley

I got an ARC of this book.

I got this book as an attempt to try and stay more current with language. The language around sexuality and gender seems to change on a daily basis at times. This book not only offers definitions, but often provides history on a word and context. It went above and beyond what I was expecting.

I recently joined a few asexual support groups to try and really come to terms with being asexual. I realized how few words I knew now that I was not actively studying in college. So I realized I needed to jump start my relearning. While this book had many terms, including ones I really like (Zuchinni FTW) it did not have all of the words I wanted to learn. I can't fault the author for this as there are SO MANY words out there. Spend a few minutes on the aromantic wiki and you will see just how many words were left out of this book, but the author even admits that this book will not have every word and may not even be accurate in the future as language is constantly evolving. 

I did learn a few words, which is not surprising. I can't promise I will remember them exactly or ever use them in my life, but what I will remember is the context. The context of the creation of the words and the way that they are actually used was invaluable. There were some terms that I have seen and heard that I was never sure about so I shied away. This book doesn't shy away. There are long descriptions of terms and why they are racist or sexist or even transmisogynistic. It was wonderful. I really recommend this book to people that have a desire to learn more than just a basic definition of a word. There is so much more to a word than a basic definition. One example is transgender is technically the label I would fall under, but the author event points out that forcing a label onto someone that they don't use isn't right. There is even a discussion on transsexual vs transgender, as well as the context. The author didn't call out people who identify as transsexual (like I do) for being behind the times. Though the reason Identify as transsexual opposed to transgender was not represented in the book, I don't feel like my identity was belittled or attacked, which is seeming rarer as labels are changing and old ones are phased out. 

The book covers concepts from pronouns to romantic vs sexual vs aesthetic attraction. Even on terms that I was already familiar with and concepts that have defined my life (like transsexual and transgender), I was still engaged. The writing was not repetitive and was direct. I would gladly read more.

I’m super-impressed at the content and work that went into this book.

As a kid who read with enjoyment the aging encyclopedias my grandparents bought before I was born, I might be the perfect audience for a book like this. I went in thinking it would be something like a dictionary, with breif definitions of terms, but it is a true encyclopedia, with informative essays of various lengths depending on the term or topic.

This book was an insightful invitation to fill gaps in my (slow-growing) knowledge, and I recommend it to anyone who works with or seeks to ally themselves with the LGBTQIA+ community.

In the carefully-written introduction, Holleb frames the purpose and expected obscilesence of this work, describing it as “a snapshot of its time. As with all snapshots, the photographer has a responsibility to frame the subject in a way which reflects its “truth,” but truth is a phantom — and, like a photographer, I am only able to show you my subject as I see and experience it.” Then adds, “Just because words don’t have stable definitions doesn’t mean they don’t have meaning, history, and context.”

This made my word-loving heart so happy.

Words are powerful, as is knowledge. I hope this book becomes a source of strength and clarity for many.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the free digital copy for review. And I recommend that anyone interested in more than straight (ha!) reading-through get a physical copy for easier flipping back and forth between terms.

I read another book similar to this one in the past which was great but was not as detailed as this one, so I was very surprised by just how detailed this book is. There are a couple of words in here that I've never heard of, which is great because I learnt new things. Some of the words that are explained in this book are not exclusively LGBTQ-related but were included because it's important to discuss the intersections of LGBTQ+ and other identities. Again, the detail included is wonderful, even some of the words I have a basic understanding of were explained in much great detail and gave me a better understanding of other identities, especially in regard to insectional identities. At times I felt like this book was a little long-winded, but I think it's an important and much-needed guide to queer identities.

I really appreciated this title. While a lot of people may not think there needs to be a dictionary of sorts, there really does due to human need to classify, categorize and label everything. Sexuality is fluid, therefore there will be many overlapping terminology.

This book is good for everyone. It does trail off into some unnecessary tidbits here and there, but sexuality is sometimes something that needs context and more in-depth explaining because people cannot simply accept anything out of heteronomativity. So while some people may not appreciate that, society will have to get used to the extra details until the day comes where people don't question or judge someone's sexuality and/or gender.

This is a super useful and informative book, encompassing many of the terms used for gender, sexuality, and marginalized communities. It would be better as a physical copy, I'm sure. But I appreciate it for what it is -- an honest lesson.

The publisher, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, kindly offered me a reader copy (RC) of The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality by Morgan Potts via NetGalley. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my humble opinion.

I had been searching for a book like this for a quite some time. A book that lists, defines, and exemplifies accurate--and not so accurate-- terminology when it comes to gender, sexuality, and identity. I was over the moon when I saw that I had been approved for a review copy. Still am.

In fact, I feel honored for having received a review copy.

The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality is indeed written in a traditional A-Z glossary style, just as its description promotes. It provides background and definitions for all relevant, current, and past terms, such as asexual, transgender, aromantic, demi-boy, etc.

My opinion is that if you can only read one nonfiction book, then you MUST READ A-Z of Gender and Sexuality. It's simply a must-read. It broadened my horizons, giving me many "Aha" moments as well as moments when I felt ashamed for how humanity has treated LGBTQA+ people. The author also provided us with current events or quotes/facts about famous people who are still alive. The examples portrayed the truth, and I found them very well placed, worded, and chosen. The background information the author gives through this book is simply outstanding and invaluable.

It is an absolutely amazing book that should be on everyone's library--electronical or otherwise. In fact, I may buy the book in paperback, too.

However, the book was long. Yes, it presented and explained many terms, most of which were necessary. But the backstory or background given felt too long and too wordy like the author wrote an essay on said term. For example, the description of the term "femme" was extensive, and yet, I still cannot define this specific term because the mere definition was lost in the text. Another very "essay"-long description was about "transformative justice". There were other terms that, in my opinion, didn't feel necessary to be explained, such as "police" (the noun), "platonic", among others.

Yes, it is quite long and wordy at times, but this is an amazing book written by an ownvoices writer. It presents and explains all the relevant terms associated with gender, sex, sexuality, and identity. Besides, if you're not interested in some terms or in knowing more details about others, you can simply bypass them and not read them. However, if you're interested in gender, sex, sexuality, and identity, look no further. This is the book for you. I cannot recommend it enough.

A-Z of Gender and Sexuality is THE non-fiction book we must all have and read. It's definitely earned 5 stars and more.

5 Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author: Morgan Potts
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

I am always interested in reading more about gender and sexuality, and this is something i found very useful and will definitely come back to!

The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality by Morgan Lev Edward Holleb is a comprehensive guide to terms used for gender and sexuality topics. Something that is needed in a world where terms in this area are forever evolving and emerging. While this is not a bad thing it does make a book like this necessary to know what the correct terminology to use is.

This glossary is extremely educational, as I hoped it would be. It has many terms that I had never heard of and it was fun to learn about their existence. I was especially excited to see different gender neutral terms other than they/them. I was annoyed by the examples that were given for using them in a sentence though. Here there was no usage of punctuation which made it hard to determine the proper way to use them. I hope that this will be fixed in the finished copy.

For being advertised as a glossary this the definitions were quite wordy and political at times. I chose this book to use more like a reference when reading LGBTQ+ novels. Finding a term quickly is important when it comes to this usage. This made it quite annoying for me to use, there were terms that took up whole pages. This made me really dislike this format.

Along with this I was looking for a glossary or a dictionary not a history lesson which is what happened soooo many times here. While it was interesting to read at times, I didn't think that it was the place for it to be included.

It was incredibly frustrating to be told that something was going to be a glossary of terms and get told things, that while they were related to the word they weren’t needed to know what the word meant. This is not something that I would recommend for what it advertises. Go into this book to not only learn definitions but also to hear more things that are related to the more complex and charged terms. Unfortunately, I could not give it a good rating because of this.

5* Can't fault the encyclopedic aspect, but I nearly gave up on this over the verbose intro and thanks.

I've read many books by this publisher, to educate myself in issues LGBTQ, as an ally and a friend to several, and JKP is one of the best out there. However, it kind of feels that the last few ARCs, this one included, are a little off-putting with the feeling of entitlement and 'chip on the shoulder' that I've been getting from its authors. One such book about transgender issues almost caused me to back off a bit and almost had the effect of making me wary of trans people. Yes, the authors are part of a (only sometimes, at least in the UK, I think. I may be wrong, but I've never come across this once in the 30+ years I've worked with LGBTQ people) perhaps persecuted and subjected-to-prejudice minority, but I've started wondering if that's not being allowed to unfairly permeate their works?

Frankly, reading Morgan Pott's intro nearly put me off. There was so much Me, Me, Me to it. But, I'd have missed out on a very good book, though a not un-entirely biased one. I think I expected that there would be bias, but it's starting to feel a little tired. I kind of wanted to read a bit more on the author, to gain an idea if I was biased about how he'd pitched his book, and found his blog/website which is kind of scary. Some stuff I wouldn't dare to articulate appears there, and yes, there's (understandable, perhaps?) bias there. It just made me feel as if the book could perhaps have had less of an 'activist' feel to it, and stuck strictly to the education side.

The book itself is one of the most complete about aspects LGBTQ, and it's certainly worth a read, even if you're simply curious or trying to educate yourself.

ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley for my reading pleasure.

Fantastic book! The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality is a great book that is really important to have in public libraries.