Carry On
Unpacking Your Internalized Transphobic and Queerphobic Baggage
The warm and informative self-help book Carry On brims with supportive words for queer and trans people, drawing on scholarship, stories, and advice from activist Nillin Lore and others.
The book’s eight chapters cover leaving the closet, self-advocacy, finding community, and social issues including queerphobia, racism, disability, and lateral violence. Throughout, questions are asked to prompt introspection and nurture self-preparation. Topics including body positivity and stepping up against racism in queer communities are covered, alongside mentorship in the form of quotes from queer scholars and artists.
Inclusive of Indigenous stories, the book references award-winning author and artist John Brady McDonald, who is bisexual and Nehiyawak-Métis and survived residential schools. Its introduction to Two-Spirit people includes the perspectives of Tyler George, Two-Spirit Headperson of the Ochapowace Nation, and researcher Tiberius Fayant- McLeod, who is also Two-Spirit. And Lore includes moving personal anecdotes, as of the stress placed on them by family members and strangers, in addition to the triumphs of doing advocacy work, moving to the city, exploring their attractions, and finding their people and fashion sense.
Well-supported by references to American psychiatrist William Glasser and psychological resources, this informative resource includes a glossary of terms related to sexuality, psychology, and social justice. Further, though some of its passages are prefaced with trigger warnings, its work is joyful on the whole. It celebrates queer heroes in accessible, sometimes punchy language, and it notes that “Choosing to be affirming, welcoming, uplifting, inspiring and caring in the face of all the adversity that we experience is a true fucking power move.” It even closes with five final affirmations.
A compassionate self-help book, Carry On gathers advice from diverse role models on navigating contemporary queer life.
Reviewed by
Meredith Grahl Counts
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
