Uncomfortable Labels

Narrative falls flat, even as Laura Kate Dale explains clearly the challenges she faces as a trans woman, as someone on the autism spectrum, and as a lesbian. Some passages felt like they repeated themselves verbatim without adding anything new. Dale also makes some absolute definitions regarding human behavior among other things, some of which I believe require citations while others are her interpretations of said situations or trends turned into blanket assumptions.

I'm uncertain as to whether or not the difference in the education, diagnosis, and handling of autism students in the UK compared to other countries makes an impact on the overall narrative. Special education itself does not get broached in Dale's memoir aside from her personal experience dealing with peers and individual teachers. Just thought it would've been an interesting point of discussion of the education system at large.

This is a very personal journey through the early life of someone that experiences the act of living very differently from many of us. It provides some level of insight into an experience that we can't actually imagine what is like on our own. At the same time it illustrates why it's so important to focus on trans-rights, and how much is still left of that fight, as much as we might like to believe our society to be open and welcoming to people that live their life differently from the majority.

I whole-heartedly recommend reading this book. Some parts might be a bit heavy to read, but overall it's a positive story about being who you are, regardless of the expectations society might try to enforce upon you.