“Couldn't I be Both Fred and Ginger?”: Teaching About Nonbinary Identities Through Memoir

In Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels, Mx 1 1. Mx is Justin Vivian Bond's preferred prefix. Justin Vivian Bond writes about v's 2 2. “V” is Justin Vivian Bond's preferred pronoun. As v elucidated, “Since my name is Justin Vivian Bond and since Vivian begins with a V and visually a V is two even sides which meet in the middle I would like v to be my pronoun” (Bio, 2013). Bond also explained the pronoun can be capitalized when it is used to replace v's name. experiences as a trans* child. The overarching narrative of the memoir, stitched together by Bond's recounting of friendships, gender play, sexual exploration, and reflective insight, provides a springboard from which educators can expand students’ understandings of nonbinary gender identities, expressions, and life experiences. After an overview of the memoir, this book review examines how the text can serve as an important pedagogical tool to explore the complex issues of gender, sex, sexuality, identity, and ‘normalcy.’