Synopses & Reviews
andlt;bandgt;and#8220;An epic yet remarkably intimate work that belongs among the most definitive civil rights titles.and#8221; and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Booklistandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The sweeping story of the modern struggle for gay, lesbian, and trans rightsand#8212;from the 1950s to the presentand#8212;based on amazing interviews with politicians, military figures, legal activists, and members of the entire LGBT community who face these challenges every day.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The fight for gay, lesbian, and trans civil rightsand#8212;the years of outrageous injustice, the early battles, the heart-breaking defeats, and the victories beyond the dreams of the gay rights pioneersand#8212;is the most important civil rights issue of the present day. Based on rigorous research and more than 150 interviews, andlt;Iandgt;The Gay Revolution andlt;/Iandgt;tells this unfinished story not through dry facts but through dramatic accounts of passionate struggles, with all the sweep, depth, and intricacies only an award-winning activist, scholar, and novelist like Lillian Faderman can evoke.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Gay Revolutionandlt;/Iandgt; begins in the 1950s, when law classified gays and lesbians as criminals, the psychiatric profession saw them as mentally ill, the churches saw them as sinners, and society victimized them with irrational hatred. Against this dark backdrop, a few brave people began to fight back, paving the way for the revolutionary changes of the 1960s and beyond. Faderman discusses the protests in the 1960s; the counter reaction of the 1970s and early eighties; the decimated but united community during the AIDS epidemic; and the current hurdles for the right to marriage equality.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In the words of the eyewitnesses who were there through the most critical events, andlt;Iandgt;The Gay Revolutionandlt;/Iandgt; paints a nuanced portrait of the LGBT civil rights movement. A defining account, this is the most complete and authoritative book of its kind.
Review
and#8220;[A] superbly researched book . . .Throughout this engaging and extremely well-documented book, Faderman clearly shows that for the LGBT community, equality is not a completed goal. Yet the ideal of fully integrated citizenship is closer to becoming reality than ever before. Inspiring and necessary reading for all Americans interested in social justice.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;One of queer history's founding scholars, Faderman, has written a sweeping and moving narrative that chronicles the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) citizenship rights from World War II to the turn of the millennium. . . . this volume will deservedly become a standard in the field. . . . highly recommended for readers interested in the 20th-century politics of sexual identity and the history of social justice activism.and#8221;
Review
"Fadermanand#8217;s immense cultural history will give todayand#8217;s LGBTQ activists both a profound appreciation of their forebears and the motivation to carry the struggle forward."
Review
and#8220;Faderman has crafted an epic yet remarkably intimate work that belongs among the most definitive civil rights titles, LGBT-specific or otherwiseand#8230;This book is destined to be one of the lasting contributions to the literature of the gay rights movement.and#8221;
Synopsis
"The most comprehensive history to date of America's gay-rights movement." --The Economist
A New York Times Notable Book of 2015
The sweeping story of the modern struggle for gay, lesbian, and trans rights--from the 1950s to the present--based on amazing interviews with politicians, military figures, legal activists, and members of the entire LGBT community who face these challenges every day.
The fight for gay, lesbian, and trans civil rights--the years of outrageous injustice, the early battles, the heart-breaking defeats, and the victories beyond the dreams of the gay rights pioneers--is the most important civil rights issue of the present day. Based on rigorous research and more than 150 interviews, The Gay Revolution tells this unfinished story not through dry facts but through dramatic accounts of passionate struggles, with all the sweep, depth, and intricacies only an award-winning activist, scholar, and novelist like Lillian Faderman can evoke.
The Gay Revolution begins in the 1950s, when law classified gays and lesbians as criminals, the psychiatric profession saw them as mentally ill, the churches saw them as sinners, and society victimized them with irrational hatred. Against this dark backdrop, a few brave people began to fight back, paving the way for the revolutionary changes of the 1960s and beyond. Faderman discusses the protests in the 1960s; the counter reaction of the 1970s and early eighties; the decimated but united community during the AIDS epidemic; and the current hurdles for the right to marriage equality.
In the words of the eyewitnesses who were there through the most critical events, The Gay Revolution paints a nuanced portrait of the LGBT civil rights movement. A defining account, this is the most complete and authoritative book of its kind.
About the Author
Lillian Faderman is an internationally known scholar of lesbian history and literature, as well as ethnic history and literature. Among her many honors are six Lambda Literary Awards, two American Library Association Awards, and several lifetime achievement awards for scholarship. She is the author of andlt;Iandgt;The Gay Revolution andlt;/Iandgt;and the andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; Notable Books, andlt;Iandgt;Surpassing the Love of Menandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Odd Girls and Twilight Loversandlt;/Iandgt;.