Bent Is Not Broken

***GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN THE READERS FAVOURITES 2024 AWARDS*** To anyone who has ever felt alienated or out of place. To anyone who has felt the need to hide behind a mask. To anyone who has ever felt different, or fragile, or a bit too close to breaking: this book's for you. Through a combination of memoir, interviews, and research, M.J. Buckman explores LGBT+ life through the ages and looks at what it can teach us today about tolerance, inclusivity, and sheer joy. In the 1980s, M.J. thrived in London's gay subculture. Being a fag hag was fun, exciting, and all-consuming. But, amongst all her 'bent' friends trying to find themselves, was she losing herself instead? M.J. believed that everyone was constantly blighted by severe anxiety, and that they were just much better than her at dealing with it. She must be the odd one out because she struggled to cope. Now turning sixty, M.J. looks back on that time and the journey she has taken to have a stronger and healthier relationship with herself. Through interviews with LGBT+ people of all ages, she explores the pain of being on the outside and the wonder of finding your tribe. Blending these personal histories with a deep exploration of how society has represented LGBT+ people throughout history, M.J. creates an uplifting and impassioned book that unveils the importance of accepting ourselves and each other. In today's world, where many LGBT+ people still struggle to be themselves and hate speech is on the rise, the need to stand up and be counted as an ally is as strong as ever. This book is about the human spirit: flawed but able to cope, different from others but accepting ourselves, fearful of adversity, but somehow finding the inner resources to be true to who we are. Bent, but not broken.