The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli

Bibliographic Information:

• Title: The New Queer Conscience
• Author: Adam Eli
• ISBN: 0593093682
• Publisher: Penguin Workshop
• Copyright Date: June 2, 2020

Genre: Nonfiction/LGBTQ+/Social Justice

Format: Print Book

Awards/Honors: Sydney Taylor Book Award, Association of Jewish Libraries- Honor 2021

Reading Level/Interest: Teen

Plot Summary: In The New Queer Conscience, Adam Eli combines his activism for LGBTQIAA+ rights with his Jewish heritage to advocate for kindness and support for the entire queer community. He explains the definition of “queer” and his use of LGBTQIAA+: lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, ally, plus. Eli believes that the “plus” is the most important symbol since it opens the doors for everyone. Eli states that “queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere.” This is derived from the Jewish principle that all Jewish people are responsible for one another. Eli grew up as an orthodox Jew in a loving family who accepted him for who he is. He acknowledges that most queer people do not have that privilege and that most have a harder time being accepted than he did. He feels that support in the queer community can lead to stronger global consciousness. Eli outlines steps to be taken for this to happen.

Author Background: Adam Eli is a write and activist know for his activism for LGBTQIAA+ rights. He is the founder of Voices4, an activist group “committed advancing global queer liberation” (Wikipedia, 2021). Eli currently serves as editor-in-chief of Gucci’s queer “The Chime Zine.” The New Queer Conscience is Eli’s first book.

Adam Eli was born on September 1990. He is Jewish and identifies as being queer. Eli feels that his queer activism has been enriched by his Jewish roots (Adrian, N.D.).

Critical Evaluation: The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli is part of the Pocket Change Collective Series. This series is comprised of small nonfiction books by today’s leading activists and artists. This book is well-written and fast paced. Even though the book is physically small, it contains a lot of information. It is written in a humorous style that will keep teens interested. Eli send an uplifting and positive message to queer teens and their allies. Teens will be drawn to this book because of the colorful cover, the size, and the topic.

Creative Use for a Library Program: For a library program, I would have a book discussion group using the Pocket Change Collective series. Since each book is about a different current topic and activism, I would let the teens select which subject they were interested in, and share what they learned with the rest of the group. The teens could discuss ways to initiate change in their schools and communities.

Speed-Round Book Talk: “Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere.” This is the premise of activist Adam Eli’s book, The New Queer Conscience. Read this book to see how Eli outlines ten principles to achieve a global queer conscience! This quick read is perfect for LGBTQ+ teens and their allies.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense: The New Queer Conscience could receive challenges due to its LGBTQ+ content. Many books on this topic are challenged by homophobic, right-wing, religious groups, and others. It is important for libraries to maintain YA collections that represent all teens, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Reason for Inclusion: Although this book is small in size, it is packed with information about different queer communities and what they can do to support each other. I like the way Adam Eli combines and compares his Jewish roots with that of the queer community. Since this book is short, I feel that teens will gravitate towards reading it, along with other books in the Pocket Change Collective Series. It is well written and adds some humor to a serious topic.

References:

Adrian, W. (N.D.). Adam Eli: Queer solidarity. Metal Magazine. Retrieved from https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/adam-eli

Logo. (2018, June 28). Adam Eli: The activist on LOGO30. [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNoGiGJe8HI&ab_channel=Logo

Wikipedia. (2021, February 28). Adam Eli. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Eli