Synopses & Reviews
Marching on Washington is a hallowed tradition of American political protest, and demonstrations led by the womenand#8217;s rights, civil rights, and antiwar movements all endure in popular memory. Between 1979 and 2000 four major lesbian and gay demonstrations took place there, and while these marches were some of the largest of their time, they have been sorely overlookedand#8212;until now. Drawing on extensive archival research, historical data, original photographs, interviews with key activists, and more than a thousand news articles,
The Dividends of Dissent offers a thorough analysisand#8212;descriptive, historical, and sociologicaland#8212;of these marches and their organization.
Amin Ghaziani ably puts these demonstrations into their cultural context, chronicling gay and lesbian life at the time and the political currents that prompted the protests. He then turns to each march in detail, focusing on the role that internal dissent played in its organization. Ultimately, Ghaziani concludes that infighting can contribute positively to the development of social movements, and that the debates over the marches helped define what it means to be gay in the United States.
Review
and#8220;Scholars and the public alike tend to think of social movements as unitary actors, as in the civil rights movement, the womenand#8217;s movement, etc. The beauty of Ghazianiand#8217;s book is to remind us that at least as much conflict happens within a movement as without, and that how this conflict gets resolved powerfully shapes the development of the movement over time. Moreover, as with conflict in general, battles within a movement may well prove beneficial to the long-run health and well-being of the struggle. An altogether welcome and groundbreaking addition to the social movement literature.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;A dazzling accomplishment, both conceptually and substantively. Ghaziani's rich and meticulously researched work significantly expands our understanding of the history of gay and lesbian activism during a critical period. Using these four previously unstudied cases of mass protest as a means to tell that history is a brilliant idea. Furthermore, these marches provide excellent data for addressing the ongoing debate over whether conflict within social movements is purely detrimental or can have positive consequences.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Ghazianiand#8217;s rich, thorough work would be very valuable for graduate and undergraduate collections in both GLBTQ studies and social movements.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;This exhaustively researched book contributes never before seen detail to the historical record, while contributing to sociological theory in social movements and culture. Ghaziani vividly demonstrates that infighting, which is often seen as an unfortunate distraction to movements, is, in fact, crucial. It is through infighting that decisions about identity and strategy are made. Ghaziani treats the specifics of the case with careful attention, understanding that historical detailand#8212;who did what, when, where, why, and howand#8212;is critical to explaining what a movement means and how it succeeds or fails.and#8221;
Review
"[Ghaziani's study] has much to offer sociologists as well as historians of social movements, cultural history, and queer history. . . . The combination of Ghaziani's attention to identity formation as fashioned from dissent and material expression of political solidarity, as well as the archival record of the GLBT group process, make this a fascinating account."
Review
"This book's wealth of historical information on national marches in the lesbian and gay movement makes it a valuable contribution to lesbian and gay studies and to the sociology of sexualities. It provides a unique view into the process through which a movement becomes national, connects activists from disparate regions, and produces an event that inspires tens of thousands of supporters."
Review
"Dividends of Dissent is a treasure trove of information about the lesbian and gay movement's four marches on Washington, D.C. It is an interesting and useful case study for students of the lesbian and gay movement, social movements, and culture more generally."
About the Author
Amin Ghaziani is a Cotsen Postdoctoral Fellow in the Society of Fellows and a lecturer in sociology at Princeton University.
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Prefaceand#160;
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1and#160;The Problem of Infighting in Political Organizing
Chapter 2and#160;The Stonewall Spark: Lesbian and Gay Life in the 1970s
Chapter 3and#160;The Birth of a National Movement: The 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights
Chapter 4and#160;War and Protest: Lesbian and Gay Life in the 1980s
Chapter 5and#160;For Love and For Life, Weand#8217;re Not Going Back! The 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights
Chapter 6and#160;The People Next Door: Lesbian and Gay Life in the Late 1980s and Early 1990s
Chapter 7and#160;A Simple Matter of Justice: The 1993 National March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberationand#160;
Chapter 8and#160;Vertigo: Lesbian and Gay Life at the Dawn of the Millennium
Chapter 9and#160;and#8220;The Event in 2000and#8221;: The Millennium March on Washington for (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Equality
Chapter 10and#160;Conclusion: How Conflict and Culture Work in Political Organizing
Appendix Aand#160;Comparative Cultural AnalysisAppendix Band#160;Coding Manual
Notesand#160;and#160;
Works Cited
Index