Gender Book Club – What’s happen so far!

Gender Book Club – What’s happen so far!

The Gender Book Club started meeting last September at the Network’s LGBT community center committed to exploring books with a gender theme. The book club selections include books with historical and current perspective of gender topics, themes with a strong gender role, and all topics of gender including fiction and nonfiction.

At the first meeting, over many great discussions more then a dozen books where considered for the club. With a round of voting considering all the books, a selection was made to start the club with the “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Freidan. The book was first published in 1963 and recently a 50th anniversary edition of the book was printed. The anniversary edition with updated material was a great book for the clubs first discussion in October.  The “The Feminine Mystique” provided a great historical perspective of women issues and women rights, yet is also in many ways is still relevant today. Selecting the “The Feminine Mystique” perfectly fit the goal of the Gender Book Club to gain knowledge and openly discuss gender issues.

The Gender Book clubs November selection was “The Front Runner” by Patricia Nell Warren. This book was a great lead into LGBT issues from our women issues discussion of the prior month. “The Front Runner” a novel published in 1974 that is both timeless and groundbreaking, the ripples of the books influence are still felt today. The book is considered by most as a benchmark of LGBT literature that is a love story that explores the challenges of gay athletes in sports. The November book club discussion of “The Front Runner” covered the historical perspective of LGBT issues, athletes coming out, and the LGBT issues surrounding the Sochi Olympics.

For December the club selected a book that is from current events “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.” This book was a great contrast to the historical perspective of the prior clubs selections.  The events in the book where straight from today’s headlines covering the life of Malala in her home in Pakistan, her being shot by the Taliban, surviving, and her addressing the United Nations assembly. The clubs discussion of “I am Malala” was thought-provoking on how religion and governments are suppressing women globally.  Just recently “I am Malala” was back in the news when the book’s release in Pakistan was canceled because of the fear of retaliation.    

For January the club selection was “The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk” by Randy Shilts. The club had a great discussion centered on the gay issues and politics of the 70’s and how some issues are the same even with the advances we have made. As in the 70’s many places today, like Holland Michigan, are struggling to get LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances passed. The group also discussed Harvey Milk, what motivated him, what kind of person he was, and if the author was accurate in his portrayal of him. The book provided a great discussion of the history of gay activism and politics while providing insight into today’s gay politics.

The club’s book selection for the February meeting is “She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders” by Jennifer Boylan. This book is an autobiography about the challenges of the making the transition from living as a man to living as a women. Jennifer Boylan has written several books and best sellers with a writing style that is descriptive and witty; “She’s Not There” is no exception and an interesting read on being transgender. The latest edition of the book is published with a new foreword by the author and afterword by a close friend Richard Russo. 

The Gender Book Club meets the third Thursday of every month September through May at 7:00 PM -9:00 PM at the Network, 343 Atlas Ave S.E, Grand Rapids, MI. If you are new to the club, don’t be intimated because you didn’t read the book, everyone is welcome to join in on the conversations. This is a great group who is excited to read and talk about interesting gender books. Please send any questions, suggestions for books, or just a note that you would like to participate to: [email protected].