None of the Above

In None of the Above: Reflections on Life Beyond the Binary, Travis Alabanza unpacks a series of seven phrases people have said to them throughout their life, like, about their gender identity, “So when did you know?” Alabanza dives deep into their lived experience as a Black, mixed-race, working class, nonbinary trans person in a society where visibility doesn’t guarantee safety. Their memoir is a reflection on the gender binary—and how it’s upheld—as well as a vision of a life beyond it. Alabanza asserts that they are not trans because they were born different; “I am trans because the world made me so,” they write. In None of the Above, the author challenges the status quo with searing social commentary peppered with personal anecdotes, even exploring their own uncertainty regarding their gender identity. By being radically honest about their doubt, they challenge the very idea of the gender binary—and how its rigidity impacts those who exist outside of it. —Meg Zukin

Buy Now: None of the Above on Bookshop | Amazon

Contact us at letters@time.com.