Alok perceives moving beyond the gender binary as the ability to look beyond a person’s gender or what they can see. The important aspect is how a person feels and shows it in their daily life. Alok also highlights how gender stereotypes and expectations are limiting, constraining, and harmful. Like many others, Alok faced self-hatred and shame for years before finding peace and acceptance with themselves as they couldn’t conform to the binary expectations. The transgender community is questioned and observed more frequently than other groups, leading to increased distress. Gender non-conforming people aren’t distressed because they have a disorder, but because of the discrimination and stigma they face. There’s nothing wrong with them, but the world punishes those who don’t conform to the normative masculine or feminine. The writer’s exposure to non-binary people or community was limited due to their upbringing and environment. They were confused when they saw a man wearing makeup or a dress as they weren’t used to it. After reading this book, they realized the pain non-gender conforming individuals experience daily and acknowledged their inability to imagine it. The writer feels comfortable being referred to as a female using “her” and “she.”