The New Queer Conscience

Pocket Change Collective

by Adam Eli, Ashley Lukashevsky (Illustrator)

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.

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Queer, Audiobook, Essays, Memoir, Social Justice

64 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2020

Reviews

[Kai Spellmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere.”

[Alison Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like a bad queer and a bad Jew for rating this low, but...there's honestly not that much to go on. Obviously, this is not meant to be an in-depth study, being that it's a tiny little book and intended as more of a manifesto. But even taking that into consideration, it's really lacking in substance and in anything "new" as the title promises. I agree with all of his sentiments, but "Treat people nicely" and "Don't force people to come out" and "Check your privilege" are pretty 101. While I love how the author connects his Jewish community and the importance of caring for and supporting others that is paramount within Judaism to his queer community and what he wants to see blossom within it, I just don't think that he really had much to say beyond very basic platitudes that have been said thousands of times. Plus, as a couple other reviews have noted, while he talks about a "global" community, his view is very US-centric.

And then there's the thing where the author--a fucking queer person who ought to know better--is explaining the acronym, and not only does he leave out the P for pansexual, but he puts in a second A...for allies.

NO. NO NO NO. FUCK YOU. NO.

God damn it, allies do not belong in the fucking acronym. It's supposed to stand for asexual/aromantic. We're already so ignored and demeaned and mocked even within the queer community, and you're gonna replicate that irritating cis/het thing of shoving fucking allies in there and make us share our part of the acronym with them? If someone is only an ally--they're cis, hetero, and allo--then by definition THEY DO NOT BELONG IN THE QUEER COMMUNITY. They are not queer in any way. Being a damn ally doesn't make you oppressed or marginalized or needing to fight for equality for yourself. I'm so sick of allies demanding that they be given some kind of bullshit recognition when they don't need it. Like, good for you that you think we're human and deserve rights. Here's your cookie. But you don't get to act like you're an actual member of the community. Seeing a queer person encouraging this crap is so frustrating and messed up.

Bah. It just annoys me. Stop doing this shit. But anyway...yeah, this says plenty of things I agree with, but it's basic and simplistic. I was hoping for something much more forward-thinking and a little radical. "Be nice to people!" Sure thing, my dude. You can start by being nicer to aces.

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I really like this but like why are allies getting an A in the initialism in this?? The fuck? Thankfully, Eli gives the first A to asexual and aromantic identities (completely forgot agender), but that's more recognition that Aces and Aros get in other spaces.

"Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere."

I really liked this story and how Eli discussed being queer and being Jewish. I liked that he also examined his own privilege as a cis man. There's some discussion about a trans cousin (hopefully with permission!) and how Eli didn't realize the safety concerns for his trans cousin. Trans people are already in increased danger, but especially trans women of color and I'm glad this was acknowledged.

The end of this focuses on some actionable steps which was great. Some of these are a bit more broad and may take more time/introspection.

[Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good intentions are clear, and there's an abundance of uplifting quotes to be drawn. For what it's worth, though, I actually might've DNF'd if this wasn't so short.

As a whole it's just so underdeveloped — idealistic rather than actionable, based on theories and personal anecdotes rather than precedent or research, with complex issues oversimplified and/or glossed over. For example, challenging your privilege isn't a one-step process that you can check off before leveraging said privilege to effect social change; there's also infighting/gatekeeping within the queer community that isn't really addressed beyond a blanket statement that everyone experiences their identity differently and some identities are more oppressed than others. There's a cursory mention of intersectionality (though the term itself is never used), but not much more explanation.

It also seems to downplay the past and present sense of queer community; as mentioned in this book, it's now easier than ever to connect — assuming you have access to the Internet; not everyone does — and some members of the queer community are already doing outreach. Obviously it's not everyone, and it could be expanded (particularly globalized), but I don't think we have quite so far to go as the author makes out.

[Rhys · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just want to point out that this is a great pocket book for queer/Jewish intersectionality, but there were a few phrases that I didn’t like.

1) 23% in the acronym “LGBTQIAA+” shows up and the author breaks it down in brackets “(lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, ally, plus)”. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THE A IN THE ACRONYM NEVER DESCRIBES ALLY’S BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT QUEER. THEY ARE ALLY’S. THE A REFERS TO ASEXUAL, AROMANTIC, AGENDER, ETC. NOT ALLY’S.

2) 58% in and the author talks about how certain identities face more discrimination than others. “…disabled people (or any combination of these) face challenges that their white, cisgender, and traditionally abled counterparts do not.” …Is it that hard to say abled bodied counterparts or better yet, non-disabled counterparts?

3) 66% in the author discusses how vulnerable some queer sub groups are and says “American Indian”. From context, it sounds like the author references Native Americans. As far as I’ve heard, it’s dated and offensive to refer to them as “Indians”.

Overall, those things made me take off 2 stars because I just can’t.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essay-length little book advocating for the queer community doing a better job of taking care of their own, written in a way that feels aimed primarily at teenagers and young adults, though certainly anyone could read it. The thesis is drawing on Jewish ideas of rallying for your community members regardless of who they are, and includes some light memoir elements. I liked it and think it would be a great resource for queer youth! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Eric Cervini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for anyone who wants to know how to be a good queer citizen of the world. Thank you for writing this, Adam.

[Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely an introduction to the idea, but I was expecting a bit more depth and more concrete ways to go about producing a more global queer solidarity. It could be a good introduction for those very new to queer community and intra-community solidarity (which, quite frankly, most people talking about queer community online seem to need), but ultimately it was quite surface level and didn't really dig into the more global solidarity that was discussed in the intro.

[Lizzie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short book with a simple premise: Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere.

[vrstal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. Highlights may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

"Progress is not a promise and liberation is not linear. Freedoms are often taken quicker than they are given."

I picked this book up at my local Pride this year, because I recognized the name and love supporting other queer Jews. While short, and so somewhat superficial in its advice, I do believe the audience for this book (newly out queer people, allies, and those exploring what queerness means just beyond sexuality or gender) can benefit from it. Ideas of queerness as heritage and identity beyond who you love or are as a gender identity are powerful, and certainly can empower the point Eli wants to make:

"Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere."

Eli is Jewish and grew up in a religious home, and I very much enjoyed not only a showcasing of supportive religious family in his experiences, but the way the teachings of Judaism have helped him come to this idea of community. He takes many of those teachings - pikuach nefesh, a light upon the nations - and shows how queer people too can frame themselves as a people who are beyond borders and strict lines of who belongs and who doesn't. Just like in Jewish community, even if I am not Orthodox or a Secular Humanist, all Jews feel the pain when our people suffer and rally to assist in helping each other and those movements we want to stand for. If queer community was cultivated in the same way, reframed, there is power to be had.

There is also a lot of emphasis in this book for those who are newly out, closeted, or in-between and the kindness we should approach those who are with. As a trans person I make choices of coming out almost everyday, depending on the situations I am in. Though my first "coming out" was years ago, I definitely agree that engaging with others in kindness and not making assumptions about what their queerness means to them or what 'experience of being queer' even looks like, there is a brighter future ahead.

[rachel, x · Rating 4 out of 5]

➸ Trigger warnings for islamophobia, antisemitism, queermisia, homomisia, transmisia, and coming out themes discussed.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram

[Darius Irani · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and insightful read. Adam Eli shares his personal understanding of queerness with relatable anecdotes (straight crushes 😅) and intersections with his Jewish heritage. The first section of The New Queer Conscience is uplifting, centering the notion that "queer people are never alone because we are a part of something greater than ourselves."

I, too, wish I had learned about Sophie Wilson, Alan Turing, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, and George Washington Carver, and more broadly about queer history and identity in school. Even for the individuals whose contributions in history I did learn about, their queerness was never mentioned.

The second half is a call to action; where "Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere." To achieve this, Eli shares 10 changes we must make and why. This section is really good, with actionable ways to positively change our mentality and how we interact with others.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly more interesting than a pamphlet you'd pick up at the doctor's office.

[yenni m · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in. Global queers unified, support wherever it's needed, encouragement for all. Yes!

[Jas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series and I really wanted to like this book but bleh. Maybe I have to remind myself that a lot of authors in this series are really young? Maybe I need to cut them a break? This books had a lot of positive energy and I feel weird critiquing it as an ally because who am I to do that but the first time I raised my eyebrow at the book was when the author mentioned that one of the A’s in LGBTQIAA+ stands for ally. I’m pretty sure it does not and allies should not try and insert themselves or center themselves in these spaces. At least that’s what I’ve always learned when listening to queer folks discuss what allies should and shouldn’t do. I was also disappointed that it took about 2/3 of the way through the book before the author mentioned anything about the trans community or queer people of color specifically. And when it was mentioned it seemed very brief as if a box was being checked. Overall I guess this was a pretty short book and the author seemed very kind and optimistic so 3 stars.

[Kathryn Kania · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, compelling read. I found there was a bit of a lack of really concrete ways to enact these changes and maybe a bit of disconnect from the fact that energy in the queer community isn't infinite so sometimes you will have to pick and choose which of these points to follow.

Also, what do we do with missing stairs in the queer community? How do you keep your community safe while uplifting it? There's a lot of good thoughts in here but it's all a little surface and just the beginning of a conversation.

Reviewed on Netgalley.

[Stijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't bring myself to give less than three stars to this, because of the good intentions and because queer people have to support each other (see, I paid attention). But honestly, I was a bit disappointed. It read like a manuscript that someone pitched to a publisher. I liked the writing style but the author could have done more research so that he could elaborate on the chapters/topics.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could be condensed to: Don't be a condescending jerk to anyone!

[Parker Lapointe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel bad as a gay person ranking this so low but overall this book is condescending and super basic. not worth the read, all you need to know is: show basic empathy to people.

[Isaak · Rating 2 out of 5]

-the A in LGBTQIA+ does not stand for ally - what the hell
-how should, say, a Black person "reach out" and build this cool new "queer conscience", if white queers around them practice gate keeping and anti-Black racism daily? "leveraging privilege" is not a simple item u can check off ur to do list, as the author makes it out to be.
a lot of the time, this felt more like a compilation of UpLiFtiNg qUoTeS and less like an actual book with new ideas :(

[kory. · Rating 5 out of 5]

more and more lately, i find myself thinking, “why are you all so mean to each other? where did your sense of community go?” about queer spaces online, so this little book is absolutely fucking lovely

content/trigger warnings; discussions of hate crimes, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia, racism, white supremacy, ableism, gun violence, death, hiv/aids, coming out, bullying,

some quotes:

“queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere.”

“we were not alone, we were just separated.”

“the truth is that queer people are never alone because we are a part of something greater than ourselves. there were and are queer people all around us at all times. silenced queers of the present sitting across from us in the classroom. empathetic and strong queers of the past rooting us on, guiding us. and, most of all, our queer friends of the future, eagerly wating for us to arrive.”

“queer people have made important contributions to the world, and being queer means that you are a link in a long chain of people who have accomplished extraordinary things in the face of tremendous peril. you may not be able to feel it yet, but that spirit of queer resilience and survival lives in you.”

“what if our initial reactions upon meeting one another were joy, kindness, and the benefit of the doubt? what if we were just absurdly nice to one another?”

“aside from being the right thing to do, it is in our best interest for new queer members to feel loved, a sense of belonging, and an eagerness to build a bright queer future.”

“we have no opinions on other people’s queerness. let’s repeat that, for folks in the back: we do not qualify, deny, or question a person’s belonging to the queer community. no one queer experience is more valid than another.”

“activist group queer nation says in its manifesto: ‘let yourself be angry.’ let’s make sure to use that weapon, that anger, and that power on our oppressors, not one another.”

(notes: allies do not get a letter in the initialism. you don’t have to say “traditionally abled” you can just say abled or nondisabled.)

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Activist Adam Eli’s manifesto for becoming engaged and active in the struggle for liberation, can be read in a single sitting. Writing that the rules of society were largely written for heterosexual people and for heterosexual people, and grounding his book in his Jewish faith tradition, Eli argues that “queers anywhere are responsible for queers everywhere” and must support one another as we strive to live authentically and freely.

Eli is a young gay and Jewish activist in New York City, and one of the co-founders of Voices 4, a non-violent direct-action group struggling for international LGBTQ+ liberation. Maybe not surprising given his age, Voices 4 makes strong use of social media platforms in its work.

Following a brief introduction in which Eli defines terms, shares his experience, and expresses empathy for “newly out” persons trying to find their identity in a hostile environment, the author offers several principles for navigating the world with kindness and support. These include:
• Treat everyone how you want your best friend to be treated.
• Do not take advantage of inexperienced queer people in any capacity.
• Do not expose someone’s queerness without their permission.
• Look inward and recognize your own privilege.
• Leverage your privilege and resources for the benefit of all members of our community—specifically, the most vulnerable.
• Prioritize and protect our most marginalized members, those whose lives are at the greatest risk.

Though short and quick to read, Eli’s book reminds LGBTQ+ persons they are not alone, and gives hope and direction in a time when being LGBTQ is criminal in over 70 countries and can be cause to send someone to prison or death. No one is free until all are free.

[Callum McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compact manifesto of sorts aims to affirm the experiences of queer people, while fostering a sense of true community and mutual support. It presents solid ideas in a simple yet uplifting way, and is pleasingly mindful of intersectionality and privilege. Helped along by Adam Eli's warm and inclusive approach, it serves as a great jumping off point, but being so compact, few points are explored in any real depth, without the space to discuss many actual solutions to the problems highlighted.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little printed TED talk is super easy to sum up for such a complex and difficult topic. The author says "Queer people anywhere must fight for queer people everywhere" and then adds that you don't have to be out or even queer to fight for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. He also expressed how vital it is to recognize how broad the spectrum of LGBT is and how many people live in it's margins. I liked his ten commandments of the global queer experience and how his main point is that queer people are not isolated, they are global, and the protection and support of queer people needs to be worldwide and universal.

[Dax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super fast listen/read. Adam is hitting all the great points on how to be a better queer representative, friend, ally, activist, neighbor, etc.. His premise is simple in the fact that all queer history is ours. All queer tragedy should unite us to band together to protect and support our community. Be the person you wished was there for your queer-awakening.

[Turquoise]

The points were decent and the first twenty pages were fantastic, but the writing felt so condescending, over optimistic, brief, and patronizing, that it wasn't a book I thought was too great-despite having an amazing cover.

[Shi'Asia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This read like a really nice essay. I didn't find anything spectacular about it and I feel like I wasn't really the target audience. But I'm not sure who the target audience is. White, cis allies? White, cis queer folks? I don't know.

[Metzli · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s fucked up they picked someone to write this pamphlet that doesn’t car about poc’s

[hawk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel really mixed about this essay. feeling positive that it exists in the library, but feeling pretty critical about alot of it.

it's nice to hear someone talk about their experiences of being both gay and Jewish. and he uses these quite well to talk about the similarities and differences of experience within society.
and the author really seems to want to 'do the right thing'.

it's a cis gay male LGBTQI+ perspective/interpretation of queer - taking/using queer as a umbrella term, rather than being about queer as a identity/way of being with its own politics and culture. the disconnect between the title and the content was disappointing.

it feels abit oblivious, especially to LGBTQI+ histories, describing the need for something that's actually existed, and many of us have been enacting, for decades.

while acknowledging that all LGBTQI+ people are individual and have different identities and experiences, it seems to talk about a single, monocultural/monolithic, LGBTQI+ community, rather than recognising LGBTQI+ communities.

it also feels like a limited perspective wrt assumptions around the universality of 'coming out', and being LGBTQI+ within a particularly Euro/Anglo-American context.
the discussion of multiple marginalisation and privilege is basic and abit awkward to read/hear.
some of this seems to be the author trying to work out some stuff about his own privilege and behaviours.

alot of the way it's written around privilege feels like its audience is assumed to be pretty privileged, and not those of us who are more marginalised /experience multiple marginalisations.

within this limited perspective and assumed audience its kinda OK...

...but from outside of this it's basic, limited, kinda patronising at times, contradictory, and problematic in some ways.

it reads like the author and collective/publisher are maybe abit ignorant/oblivious to what else has been written, is happening, and of wider culture/s.

and just cos it stands out and kinda encapsulates some of the issue - the bit where the author talks about their response to encountering a LGBTQI+ group that was not conventionally pacifist/anti violence... saying that while they're not going to ally with this group they're also not going to criticise them much... this seems mostly there in the essay to actively criticise this group and it's perspective!! 🙃