Normal Life

"Should be read by everyone who is interested in challenging capitalism, colonialism, racism and patriarchy." - Angela Y. Davis

"An invaluable resource not just for rethinking gender justice, but for rethinking how we do social justice organizing in general."
- Andrea Smith, author of Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide

"This original, visionary, urgent, and brilliantly argued book significantly advances political theory and social movement criticism." - Urvashi Vaid, author of Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay & Lesbian Liberation

"Sharply political, deeply intellectual, broadly accessible, Normal Life is exactly what we need right now."  - Lisa Duggan author of The Twilight of Equality?: Neoliberalism Cultural Politics and the Attack on Democracy

"This street-smart and theoretically sophisticated little book should be required reading for all would-be radicals looking for practical ways to build a better future."  - Susan Stryker author of Transgender History

"With Normal Life, Spade has succeeded in reframing the terms of LGBT politics by building a far-reaching vision for queer and trans politics that is rooted in community work that has already begun. . . . [It] lay[s] out a road map for queer and trans activists that leads neither to the altar nor to war, but guides us to resist state power by building community and returning to our radical roots."  - Wendy Elisheva Somerson, Bitch

"Dean Spade’s much-anticipated book is a rich tapestry of critical inquiry, interventions into legal and transgender studies, and strategies for transformative resistance. . . . The strength of Normal Life lies in Spade’s commitment to accessibility as a matter of political and ethical principle. This principle is evident in the way Spade skillfully articulates theoretical concepts in common parlance, enabling critical trans politics to inform political struggles beyond the academy. Moreover, his concrete discussions of administrative governance and transformative political interventions position radical change within our reach rather than demarcate it to the realm of speculative futures."  - Dan Irving, GLQ

"[Normal Life] makes an important contribution to a new and emerging critical trans politic. It is provocative, comprehensive, and engaging. It should be widely discussed as an important strategic framework for work within the LGBTQ movement." - Jennifer Levi and Giovanna Shay, Women's Review of Books

"Spade's book is personal, practical, and theoretical. It lays out a framework for a critical trans politics, and gives fresh analyses of immigration, legal reform, wealth distribution, and lesbian and gay politics—all buoyantly and optimistically aimed at a repaired world."  - Kate Clinton, Progressive

"[Spade] provides an eminently teachable text for courses on power in society, social movements, and community organizing—in the university, and outside. . . .We will have to take Spade's proposals very seriously to build a movement centered on those most affected by administrative violence." - Marcia Ochoa, Social Justice