The No-Nonsense Guide to Sexual Diversity by Vanessa Baird
Publisher: Between the Lines, Price: $16 softcover, ISBN: 1859843530, Page count: 144 pp., Released Nov. 2001
Vanessa Baird’s compact and informative guide, The No-Nonsense Guide to Sexual Diversity, which excludes heterosexuality and non-consensual acts like bestiality—so be warned, if not disappointed—delivers nuggets like “Privacy is a luxury,” and “It’s easier to dig a hole than build a pole,” (on sexual reassignment) as gentle reminders to Westerners that they ask (demand, really) much because they can. Denying freedom and equality to everyone is greedy (wicked humanity!), often spawning violence, tyranny and hatred. Baird braces this message with an impressive juggling of homosexuality, gender, sex, intersexuality, bisexuality, cross-dressing, eunuchry across various continents covering history (hidden and revolutionary), homophobia, politics, religion, science and transgenderism all in a book that would just fit a largish trouser pocket.
“Sex is interesting,” she begins, continuing with “what do they mean by that [sexual diversity]?” thus, prodding the mind to wander (and, occasionally, wander off) to other questions. A normal child will naturally ask, “Where did I come from?” inviting (perhaps I am alone here in thinking) “What is normal? What is natural?” Chi-Chi and Bonny, too, might ask these questions as two “pseudo-hermaphrodites” living in the Dominican Republic—then again, perhaps not. Chi-Chi is one of 10 children born to his/her mother, who has three girls, three boys, and four of the “special sort.” In one village, 38 people from 23 extended families spanning four generations are “pseudo-hermaphrodites.”
Normal? Diverse? Unfortunately, there is little room to explore the deeper reasons for these questions, but it reminds us that wondering about the sex of an androgynous person is a natural reaction, perhaps disturbingly too normal, to an ill-defined understanding of sexual diversity. So, be less fascinated by whether less than one inch is an acceptable measurement for removing a penis on an intersexual person, and more compelled to embrace sexual acceptance (except of lovers of animals and other non-consensual pursuits).
