Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity (original 2007; edition 2006)

by Matt Bernstein Sycamore (Editor)

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575	7	44,434	(3.99)	7
An anthology exploring the act of passing-as the "right" gender, race, class, sexuality, age, ability, body type, ethnicity, and beyond Nobody Passes is a collection of essays that confronts and challenges the very notion of belonging. By examining the perilous intersections of identity, categorization, and community, contributors challenge societal mores and countercultural norms. Nobody Passes explores and critiques the various systems of power seen (or not seen) in the act of "passing." In a pass/fail situation, standards for acceptance may vary, but somebody always gets trampled on. This anthology seeks to eliminate the pressure to pass and thereby unearth the delicious and devastating opportunities for transformation that might create.… (more)

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Member:	NurseMcHurt
Title:	Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity
Authors:	Matt Bernstein Sycamore (Editor)
Info:	Seal Press (2006), 364 pages
Collections:	Currently reading, Your library, To read, Favorites
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Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore (2007)

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If you grab this off the shelf expecting it to be about "Gender and Conformity" as linked terms, you may be disappointed. Although there are several contributions that address both gender and conformity, there are equally as many contributions that address these topics as separate issues. For instance, trying to pass as a person of color or passing on passing as part of a culture. This does not, in any way, take away from the intentions of the book. Gender and conformity need not be linked to prove true to the title that "Nobody Passes". This was a compelling read and I am now a fan of Mattilda, as well as several of the authors within this book, for life. (

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coffeechic | May 31, 2023 |

Every essay is well-written, interesting, and moving. Very smart, very enjoyable. Highly recommended. (

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elenaj | Jul 31, 2020 |

each essay is at least somewhat interesting, and there r a few rly terrific ones like the essay on homohop. superbly edited/collected overall, good sampling of topics/voices/styles of essay.

many of the issues addressed, like the evolution of the battered womens movement, have since 2006 become relatively popular/well-known narratives among the queer social justice literati, so someone ~in the kno~ (like myself) might find a lot of familiar material; but the essays r skimmable enuf that i dont think this detracts from the reading, and this makes the collection both accessible and insightful for e.g. interested allies, or those who want to read more essayish material but aren't into theorycore (

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sashame | Dec 9, 2018 |

This anthology includes a set of really diverse essays on negotiating all kinds of identities in all kinds of spaces. The editor included works on many, many types of passing in many types of settings, not just passing as the "standard" gender, race, or sexuality in a mainstream, Western society setting. Some of the essays were wonderful and others didn't grab my attention, but they all helped to create a conversation as I read about identity and passing in all of one's shared spaces. (

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alwright1 | Jul 5, 2013 |

This is an amazing book! The essays are diverse and cover a lot intersections of race, gender, sexuality. This was an easily-readable and accessible collection, but they challenge the reader and require analysis - a very unique combination.

I couldn't recommend this book enough. (

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rmostman | May 25, 2010 |

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Lambda Literary Award (Finalist – Transgender – 2007)

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Dean Spade

Naeem Mohaiemen

▾Book descriptions

An anthology exploring the act of passing-as the "right" gender, race, class, sexuality, age, ability, body type, ethnicity, and beyond Nobody Passes is a collection of essays that confronts and challenges the very notion of belonging. By examining the perilous intersections of identity, categorization, and community, contributors challenge societal mores and countercultural norms. Nobody Passes explores and critiques the various systems of power seen (or not seen) in the act of "passing." In a pass/fail situation, standards for acceptance may vary, but somebody always gets trampled on. This anthology seeks to eliminate the pressure to pass and thereby unearth the delicious and devastating opportunities for transformation that might create.

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