It was while excitedly going through this list of LGBT Labor History, featuring links to articles, books and interviews that show the extensive influence of organizing, building and advocating LGBTQ+ people had in the labor movement, that I thought to look into the library catalog to see what parts of queer political history have been written about so far.
As with many marginalized groups, not all of this history will be available in book form, or will be uncovered yet. But, as with other marginalized groups, the existence, rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ have been frequently litigated and challenged by laws and ballot measures.
The struggle to change that – to fight back – is gaining more and more coverage in mainstream publications, in part because of the 50th anniversary of Pride in 2019. Here is a selection of recent-ish non-memoir and non-biographical titles (and one indispensable classic) on different aspects of queer political struggle and how the politicization of queerness has shaped LGBTQ+ lives and communities.
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The classic text recounting the emergence of HIV and the creation of a movement by those affected in the gay community to have their voices heard and their deaths addressed, and more deaths prevented. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Hoopla.
Decades before Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell sparked a national conversation about LGBTQ people serving in the U.S. military, World War II created a need for people to serve that clashed with its discrimination against homosexuality. You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla.
Before the riot at Stonewall, a public servant outed for being gay and fired from his job decided to fight back against discrimination, founding the Mattachine Society and protesting the persecution of gay people at work.
A work of narrative nonfiction constructed through extensive interviews and research that brings the passion and importance of its subject to the fore. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eAudio on Hoopla.
Since 1974, there have been over 100 ballot measures that seek to limit or quash gay civil rights. Stone offers an analysis of these fights and the tactics used by LGBTQ+ activists who seek to oppose them and gain support for their rights.
A chronicle of LGBTQ existence and reflection in culture using new data, and covering many aspects of life globally and nationally. You can also check out this title as eBook on OverDrive/Libby or as eBook on Hoopla.
A powerful collection of photographs housed in the New York Public Library’s archive of the work of photojournalists Kay Tobin Lahusen and Diana Davies. This book is full of photos of the Stonewall riots and the activism around it. The photos and captions immerse the reader in this world in a way that history books can’t, and showcase the power and diversity of the activists. “Love and Resistance” is a powerful look at these moments as they happen.
Corey-Boulet investigates LGBT rights in the continent of Africa, like the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, and surveys how those whose sexual and gender identities are criminalized find support, or not.
Halkitis compares the stories of three generations of gay men to find how public life had changed for each, using oral histories and research. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Hoopla.
Throughout Real Queer America, transgender writer Samantha Allen vows to do “something gay every day.” It may not seem like that hard of a task if she was ensconced in a major city like New York or Chicago with its concentrations of gay residents. It becomes a bit harder in the Deep South or the Rio Grande Valley. Yet, throughout Allen’s travels, she shows that there is plenty of gay life that is happening well outside metropolitan hubs.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
An anthology that illuminates the struggle to find comprehensive, supportive health care for LGBTQ+ patients, and looks at community services that have come into being to ameliorate the problem. You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla.
Downs collects stories of community and building foundations of gay life and bringing gay struggles to life in works of art during the 1970s, beyond Pride parades.
A collection culled from the LGBTQ archives of the New York Public Library offers perspectives on gay life before the uprising at Stonewall, first-person narratives from the night, and articles from LGBTQ publications following the event, highlighting the role of trans and BIPOC activists in the movement.
The curators of the Instagram account @lgbtq_history bring forth a book of curated photographs and a narrative that traces queer activism from the nineteenth century to today.