Name: The New Queer Conscience
Rating: 3.5 (9 reviews)
ISBN: 9780593093689

Adam Eli

"LGBTQIAA+ activist Adam Eli argues the urgent need for queer responsibility -- that queers anywhere are responsible for queers everywhere"--

The New Queer Conscience

Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us. "The new manifesto for how we as queer people could and should navigate the world. It's the holding hand I never had--but wish I did."--Troye Sivan, Golden Globe nominated-singer, songwriter, and actor "With the persistence of queerphobia all around the world, this book is absolutely necessary, even vital."--Édouard Louis, internationally bestselling author of History of Violence "To Eli's credit, all of the rules are rooted in considerations of conscience and kindness and, if observed, will make a better world--as will this book."--Booklist, starred review "A must-read that highlights the importance of radical empathy, community building, and solidarity."--School Library Journal, starred review In The New Queer Conscience, LGBTQIA+ activist Adam Eli argues the urgent need for queer responsibility -- that queers anywhere are responsible for queers everywhere. Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists. In this installment, The New Queer Conscience, Voices4 Founder and LGBTQIA+ activist Adam Eli offers a candid and compassionate introduction to queer responsibility. Eli calls on his Jewish faith to underline how kindness and support within the queer community can lead to a stronger global consciousness. More importantly, he reassures us that we're not alone. In fact, we never were. Because if you mess with one queer, you mess with us all.

Elle Kay

"A" had NEVER stood for ally!!!

I read the whole thing but barely remember a word of it because every time I saw that "A" for ally I  wanted to throw the book out a window. Allies are NOT queer, therefore they are not a part of the queer community. Stop spreading this, especially in a beginner's guide for young people. You're just going to give them the wrong idea. 

Here's what I do remember of the book - it read more like a guide for kindergartners on how to get along on the playground than for emerging adults to figure out how to live in the world and support each other as queer adults. The information is too vague and elementary. There is so much nuance to the queer experience that simple guides like this usually create more questions and confusion than answers and any path forward.

There are way better introductory guides for queer youth to get started. Read one of those.

had potential, but why would you put "Allies" in the acronym and relegate other, actually queer identities to the "+"? really disliked that.

Joyce

Very good, quick read. Eli's central idea - "Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere" - is concise and moving. This definitely qualifies as pocket change since it's essentially just an essay that would work just as well as a blog post as a published book. But I appreciate that it provides a starting point to think about the idea of queerness as a global community that is responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of each other. It even managed to make me tear up because I'm apparently really susceptible to the idea of radical kindness in the queer community.

The New Queer Conscience

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