City Of Sisterly And Brotherly Loves: Lesbian And Gay Philadelphia, 1945-1972

by Marc Stein

Marc Stein's City of Sisterly and Brotherly Loves is refreshing for at least two reasons: it centers on a city that is not generally associated with a vibrant gay and lesbian culture, and it shows that a community was forming long before the Stonewall rebellion. In this lively and well received book, Marc Stein brings to life the neighborhood bars and clubs where people gathered and the political issues that rallied the community. He reminds us that Philadelphians were leaders in the national gay and lesbian movement and, in doing so, suggests that New York and San Francisco have for too long obscured the contributions of other cities to gay culture.

Genres: History, LGBT, Nonfiction, Queer, Politics, Urban Studies, Gender and Sexuality

479 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2000

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the tedious first chapter on residential zones (which could have been an appendix in my opinion), this is a great book about Philadelphia's lesbian and gay communities, their interactions, and their prominent place in the modern gay and lesbian rights struggle. I particularly admired how Stein laid out different possible explanations for events without insisting that he knew which possible explanation was the right one.

[Liz Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I wasn't always interested in Marc Stein's over-arching question of how gay & lesbian groups/histories related to each other, I was really interested in learning about Philly's gay & lesbian history, and this is the first book I've read that focuses on it. I especially enjoyed all the narratives and anecdotes from gay men & women who lived in Philly in the '40s, '50s, and '60s.

[Thomas Sacino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book as an account of queer lives in Philadelphia prior to the gay liberation movement associated with the post-stonewall era. While I think the author is too ambivalent in certain sections and could trim down pieces, Stein uses oral history and public records to clearly and authoritatively lay out his argument.

[zoe ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love reading about lesbians