Gender Queer: A Memoir

Media and art are important for Kobabe’s self-discovery. From music to books, e seeks out art that reflects emself. What is a piece of media that has helped you understand yourself, and how does that relate to Kobabe’s experiences? Make sure to quote specific instances of Kobabe’s interactions with art to reflect on your own experience.

How do Kobabe’s metaphors for gender evolve and change over time? Think back to eir use of the two-half souls, the scale, and the sleeping seed. What aspects of eir conception of gender become more nuanced or change entirely over time? Consider the implications of these metaphors beyond what is on the page.

Examine how Kobabe’s art and text interact. Does the text ever become inseparable from the art? How does font choice impact art and vice versa? Choose a single page and explore the interaction between art and text.

Kobabe began writing Gender Queer partly to explain eir gender identity to eir parents. Gender Queer began as a comic series on Instagram. How does this purpose shape the way Kobabe writes and depicts scenes?

Who do you think is the primary audience for Kobabe’s work? Consider what jargon is used and what is defined and left undefined.

What would change if Gender Queer was written entirely in prose with no pictures? What does the graphic novel medium give to the story? Remember to cite specific examples and try to focus on a single scene or story for evidence.

Fan culture and LGBTQ+ culture are tied together in Kobabe’s story. How does fan culture allow Kobabe to explore eir identities and feelings? Why might fandom and fanfiction writing be popular with LGBTQ+ people?

Kobabe fears that being honest about eir identity in the classroom would be “too political” but does not give any context for this statement. Kobabe also attends a trans rights march but does not give any context for the march. What recent events might make em feel this way? How might you contextualize these occurrences in the story through research?