Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
Last updated: 2 October 2026
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon is a 64-page pocket book about gender, written by the gender non-conforming writer and performance artist. Alok draws on growing up in an Indian American family, then answers the arguments most often used to dismiss non-binary people. Penguin Workshop publishes it in the Pocket Change Collective series. On 2 October 2026 Amazon UK had the paperback at £6.99.
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What Beyond the Gender Binary is about
The book has two halves. In the first, Alok writes about childhood in College Station, Texas. They describe how things they loved came to be treated as feminine and shameful. In the second, they take the common objections to non-binary people one at a time: dismissal, inconvenience, biology and the slippery slope argument. Each answer is short and direct.
Alok's case is that society's definition of gender can be rethought, and that gender works best as a flexible form of creative expression. The tone stays warm throughout. It works for readers questioning their own gender, and for parents, teachers and friends who want to understand.
Who Alok Vaid-Menon is
Alok is a writer, performance artist and public speaker who uses they/them pronouns. Their work has been featured by HBO, MTV, NBC, The Guardian and The New York Times, according to the publisher.
The book carries a line from Sam Smith on Penguin's page for the book: "When reading this book, all I feel is kindness." Kirkus Reviews called it "a fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change", and School Library Journal gave it a starred review.
Key facts
- Author: Alok Vaid-Menon
- Illustrator: Ash Kwak Lukashevsky
- Publisher: Penguin Workshop, in the Pocket Change Collective series
- Published: June 2020
- Format: paperback, 64 pages, small enough for a jacket pocket
- Reading age: 12 and up on Amazon UK, though the publisher pitches it at all ages
- ISBN: 9780593094655
- Price: £6.99 on Amazon UK, with two copies in stock on 2 October 2026
- Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 from 1,749 ratings on Amazon UK, checked the same day
Who it suits
- Teenagers and young adults: it is short, illustrated and written to be read in one go.
- Parents and carers: the second half answers the questions family members tend to ask, in calm language.
- Teachers and youth workers: School Library Journal recommends it from age 12, and its length suits a class or a reading group.
- Anyone who wants a starting point: it takes under an hour to read and leaves room for longer books afterwards.
The limits
At 64 pages, the book introduces ideas rather than exploring them in depth. It is written from a US point of view, so it does not cover UK law, the NHS or schools guidance here. Readers who want research or history will need a longer book. Our guide to Take Your Own Advice by Jeffrey Marsh covers another short, kind book by a non-binary author.
Where to buy Beyond the Gender Binary in the UK
Amazon UK had the paperback at £6.99 on 2 October 2026, but only two copies were in stock, so delivery times may stretch once those go. It is also widely stocked by UK bookshops under the ISBN above. For more reading in the same area, our gifts for LGBTQ+ people collects books, prints and objects.
Beyond the Gender Binary on Amazon UK
FAQs
What is Beyond the Gender Binary about?
It is a short book about gender as self-expression. Alok Vaid-Menon shares their own childhood, then answers common arguments made against non-binary people.
How long is Beyond the Gender Binary?
It has 64 pages. Most people can read it in under an hour.
What age is Beyond the Gender Binary for?
Amazon UK lists it for ages 12 and up, and School Library Journal recommends it from US grade 7, which is age 12 to 13. The publisher pitches it at all ages, and many adults read it too.
How much does Beyond the Gender Binary cost in the UK?
Amazon UK had it at £6.99 on 2 October 2026.
What is the Pocket Change Collective?
It is a Penguin Workshop series of short books by activists and artists, each on a single subject. Beyond the Gender Binary is one of the series.
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