Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon is such a well written book. What I realize when reading Beyond the Gender Binary is that it inspires readers all across the world to believe that anything is possible inside themselves. Alok Vaid-Menon wrote this book as if we were there and experiencing everything with them. Vaid-Menon discusses how gender binary enforcement begins at birth and impacts people at all stages of life, with people of color being more vulnerable owing to Western views of gender as binary. Gender assignments provide a narrative for how a person should act, what they are permitted to enjoy or wear, and how they express themselves. Punishment for nonconformity creates an inextricable relationship between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon deconstructs common arguments against gender nonconformity into four categories: rejection, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in strong type make it easier to go from one analysis to the next. The text has a conversational tone that seems as intimate and sensitive as a discussion with a best friend. In other words, Beyond the Gender Binary, spoken word poet Alok Vaid-Menon encourages the world to view gender in full color rather than black and white. They demonstrate that gender is a changeable and creative form of expression by drawing on their own experiences as a gender-nonconforming artist. Your imagination is the only limit. “People judge gender nonconformity because they are insecure about their identities,” Vaid- Menon explained. I agree with this statement because they are envious of others’ ability to express who they truly are. The second greatest thing for them to do is to criticize people who are courageous enough to be themselves. This book was eye-opening.