Helpfully catalogs serious problems and provides guidance on coping strategies.
A guide to the many ways that some life challenges can be worsened by shaming.
Concise chapters cover six commonly stigmatized conditions: mental illness, addiction, being unhoused, relationship violence, military-related trauma, and body weight. An introductory chapter explains exactly what stigma is, how it can be overlooked, and how it relates to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. The concluding chapter suggests ways to actively oppose each type of stigma. The author cites a wide range of ordinary people who have dealt with these situations as well as athletes, writers, celebrities, and others in the public eye. Diagrams make textual points clearer. Neutral language describes objective facts about stigma, while numerous brief narratives help convey its deeply harmful effects. The chapters provide valuable context about these situations, their impact on people’s lives, and possible avenues for treatment or solutions—heading off self-misdiagnosis and citing specific sources of expert help. The possible harms of labels and the importance of respectful language are acknowledged, as are structural societal problems like lack of affordable housing or health care access, the impact of racial bias, and how LGBTQ+ people are affected by various circumstances. Stock photos and sidebars punctuate the main text and provide additional context. This accessible overview will provide much-needed validation for some and contribute to awareness for others.
Helpfully catalogs serious problems and provides guidance on coping strategies. (trigger warning, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781728477398
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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