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In Search of Stonewall: The Riots at 50 The Gay & Lesbian Review at 25 Best Essays, 1994-2018
The year was 1994. It was the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and, as luck would have it, the year in which a new magazine called The Harvard Gay & Lesbian Review was publishing its first issue (Winter ’94). The fact that The G&LR’s first year coincided with Stonewall’s 25th forever joined its fate with that of the founding event of the modern LGBT movement. This book commemorates the magazine’s 25th birthday with a collection of relevant articles culled from its 136 issues.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 26, 2019
In 2019, most Americans know at least one person who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender even if only as an acquaintance. But, as recently as the early 1970s, in most parts of the country, that person was believed to be mentally ill, a criminal, and a sinner. In fact, that individual could lose his job and home, have his name printed in the newspaper as a deviant, be forced to register as a sexual criminal, placed in an asylum, or even imprisoned if arrested during a raid on a gay bar.
This year, on June 28, we remember the event that occurred 50 years ago in New York City—the Stonewall Riots. Though there had been earlier attempts to resist LGBTQ oppression, this is the one that took hold and is now often credited as being the start of the modern gay rights movement in the United States.
Earlier this year, on the 25th anniversary of the Gay and Lesbian Review (formerly the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review), the editors released a book of Stonewall-related articles that had first appeared in G&LR. These essays from the past 25 years make clear that the events at Stonewall 50 years ago were more complex than most persons understand them to be. As the editor explains, there is the journalistic question of what happened starting on June 28, and there is the symbol of Stonewall. Finally, there is also the fact that a single event on a single night did not suddenly and clearly mark a before-and-after search for gay rights.
Before Stonewall there were other bar raids and moments of resistance. There were other organizations and newspapers that attempted to create a movement. But, after the Stonewall riots, for some reason or reasons, there was an energy and a turning point that quickly led to the creation of organizations, publications, Pride parades, and even a new way of thinking about what it means to be gay or lesbian.
A movement emerged that quickly led to dramatic changes in American culture and institutions. Through a series of essays, In Search of Stonewall looks at the years before Stonewall, the event itself, and its aftermath as it attempts to bring meaning to the riots.
Though Stonewall remains elusive, we can make some observations and draw some conclusions:
First, having the objective “particulars” may be less important than is the generalized memory of the riots. In June of 1970, one year after Stonewall, the owner of a small and obscure New York City bookstore—the first dedicated entirely to gay and lesbian authors--pushed to create the first Pride parade which was held on the one-year anniversary of the riots. The riots of 1969 had emotionally surprised people accustomed to hiding in shame and gave the event power.
Second, the riots came at the end of a decade of tremendous energy and change. There was the anti-war movement that continued to grow, the massive Civil Rights movement which led to an even more radical Black Power movement, a women’s rights movement that led to a full-scale sexual revolution, and more. The country was in turmoil and was reshaping itself. The events at Stonewall and the first Pride parade were part of that change.
Third, even though the first gay and lesbian organizations had developed on the West Coast, they never took hold or attracted many people. New York City, however, simply had more people and those people had more opportunities to interact with media. In other words, more people with greater exposure could enact more change.
Fourth, gays and lesbians began to think of themselves as an oppressed cultural minority rather than as criminals, sinners, and mentally ill people. This understanding led to people telling their “coming out” stories to anyone who would listen (and even to those who did not want to hear). These coming out conversations were both personal and political since homosexuality was illegal across the country.
LGBTQ persons of the early 70s also began to understand the role oppression plays in creating “outsiders” and the tools used to do the oppressing. They began to think of themselves as deserving of acceptance, equality, and respect.
Interestingly, though, the early movement was less focused on assimilation today, but was more an expression of difference and diversity. The early movement resisted puritanism in favor of less restrictive—more liberated-- living. (Today, many activists fear the gay rights movement has become so diluted it now focuses only on getting white middle-class gay men a “place at the table” by trying to convince straight and gay persons that our differences are found only in who we love. They think the broader goals of achieving liberation for all persons to live authentically and in acceptance, and of creating a society that celebrates sex and gender difference was lost.)
Fifth, unlike most movements, the push for gay rights never depended upon charismatic leaders to assemble and sustain the movement. Though there are gay activists, there is no gay equivalent to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today, many activists fear the LGBTQ movement has lost its energy as it is generally easier to live openly in places like New York and LA, and the right to marry is won. But, in many places around the world, being LGBTQ is still illegal and can even lead to a death sentence. In many places in the United States it is possible for a same-sex couple to legally marry only to be fired from a job or evicted from an apartment the following day because of that marriage.
Finally, In Search of Stonewall explains that because homosexuality was illegal and therefore secretive, there is very little known history that has passed through the generations. In fact, only two states require some mention of “gay-related” topics, culture, and history in the public schools: California and New Jersey.
So, the gay movement has coalesced around the symbolism and memory of Stonewall. Today, around the world, most often in June, the memory of that event is still commemorated—and celebrated—in Pride parades even if those parades are less political than in the past.
In the end, probably the most we can agree on is that the riots at the Stonewall Inn in June 1969 were a “disorganized rebellion against oppression” and that it “triggered a chain reaction of community-building and political organizing that was emulated across the country and publicized throughout the world.”
In short, the Stonewall riots—an event in time--became an idea—a symbol--that gave LGBTQ persons a feeling of possibility and an understanding that they need not accept the oppression they had been accepting daily. Life could be better. America could be better.
This year, on June 28, we remember the event that occurred 50 years ago in New York City—the Stonewall Riots. Though there had been earlier attempts to resist LGBTQ oppression, this is the one that took hold and is now often credited as being the start of the modern gay rights movement in the United States.
Earlier this year, on the 25th anniversary of the Gay and Lesbian Review (formerly the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review), the editors released a book of Stonewall-related articles that had first appeared in G&LR. These essays from the past 25 years make clear that the events at Stonewall 50 years ago were more complex than most persons understand them to be. As the editor explains, there is the journalistic question of what happened starting on June 28, and there is the symbol of Stonewall. Finally, there is also the fact that a single event on a single night did not suddenly and clearly mark a before-and-after search for gay rights.
Before Stonewall there were other bar raids and moments of resistance. There were other organizations and newspapers that attempted to create a movement. But, after the Stonewall riots, for some reason or reasons, there was an energy and a turning point that quickly led to the creation of organizations, publications, Pride parades, and even a new way of thinking about what it means to be gay or lesbian.
A movement emerged that quickly led to dramatic changes in American culture and institutions. Through a series of essays, In Search of Stonewall looks at the years before Stonewall, the event itself, and its aftermath as it attempts to bring meaning to the riots.
Though Stonewall remains elusive, we can make some observations and draw some conclusions:
First, having the objective “particulars” may be less important than is the generalized memory of the riots. In June of 1970, one year after Stonewall, the owner of a small and obscure New York City bookstore—the first dedicated entirely to gay and lesbian authors--pushed to create the first Pride parade which was held on the one-year anniversary of the riots. The riots of 1969 had emotionally surprised people accustomed to hiding in shame and gave the event power.
Second, the riots came at the end of a decade of tremendous energy and change. There was the anti-war movement that continued to grow, the massive Civil Rights movement which led to an even more radical Black Power movement, a women’s rights movement that led to a full-scale sexual revolution, and more. The country was in turmoil and was reshaping itself. The events at Stonewall and the first Pride parade were part of that change.
Third, even though the first gay and lesbian organizations had developed on the West Coast, they never took hold or attracted many people. New York City, however, simply had more people and those people had more opportunities to interact with media. In other words, more people with greater exposure could enact more change.
Fourth, gays and lesbians began to think of themselves as an oppressed cultural minority rather than as criminals, sinners, and mentally ill people. This understanding led to people telling their “coming out” stories to anyone who would listen (and even to those who did not want to hear). These coming out conversations were both personal and political since homosexuality was illegal across the country.
LGBTQ persons of the early 70s also began to understand the role oppression plays in creating “outsiders” and the tools used to do the oppressing. They began to think of themselves as deserving of acceptance, equality, and respect.
Interestingly, though, the early movement was less focused on assimilation today, but was more an expression of difference and diversity. The early movement resisted puritanism in favor of less restrictive—more liberated-- living. (Today, many activists fear the gay rights movement has become so diluted it now focuses only on getting white middle-class gay men a “place at the table” by trying to convince straight and gay persons that our differences are found only in who we love. They think the broader goals of achieving liberation for all persons to live authentically and in acceptance, and of creating a society that celebrates sex and gender difference was lost.)
Fifth, unlike most movements, the push for gay rights never depended upon charismatic leaders to assemble and sustain the movement. Though there are gay activists, there is no gay equivalent to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today, many activists fear the LGBTQ movement has lost its energy as it is generally easier to live openly in places like New York and LA, and the right to marry is won. But, in many places around the world, being LGBTQ is still illegal and can even lead to a death sentence. In many places in the United States it is possible for a same-sex couple to legally marry only to be fired from a job or evicted from an apartment the following day because of that marriage.
Finally, In Search of Stonewall explains that because homosexuality was illegal and therefore secretive, there is very little known history that has passed through the generations. In fact, only two states require some mention of “gay-related” topics, culture, and history in the public schools: California and New Jersey.
So, the gay movement has coalesced around the symbolism and memory of Stonewall. Today, around the world, most often in June, the memory of that event is still commemorated—and celebrated—in Pride parades even if those parades are less political than in the past.
In the end, probably the most we can agree on is that the riots at the Stonewall Inn in June 1969 were a “disorganized rebellion against oppression” and that it “triggered a chain reaction of community-building and political organizing that was emulated across the country and publicized throughout the world.”
In short, the Stonewall riots—an event in time--became an idea—a symbol--that gave LGBTQ persons a feeling of possibility and an understanding that they need not accept the oppression they had been accepting daily. Life could be better. America could be better.
February 15, 2019
Honoring a monumental publication
Editor Richard Schneider Jr. has assembled a selection of essays from the past twenty five years issues of the Gay & Lesbian Review and in doing so he connects the coincidence of the founding of the important periodical on the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – that event that served as the founding event of the LGBT movement.
As he states in his Introductory comments, ‘I’ve chosen the title “In Search of Stonewall” for this collection because it seems to me that the events of 1969 remain elusive in at least two ways. First, there is the journalistic question of just what happened on the night of June 28th (who started the riot, what happened next, etc.). Second, because “Stonewall” exists as a symbol of the LGBT movement quite apart form the historic event itself, the search is always on for the meaning of Stonewall as it was first conceived and has evolved over the years. If nothing else, it is a marker in historical time with a clearly defined “before” and “after.” But to imply that Stonewall interrupted the flow of history, single-handedly resetting the LGBT calendar, is to pile a lot of responsibility onto a single event or era. Still, something happened, and it happened quite rapidly and even magically after the riots, so in this sense the search for Stonewall can also be a desire to reconnect with the overpowering energy and excitement of this period…’
What follows is a fascinating and informative selection of essays by such famous and celebrated authors as Andrew Holleran, Felice Picano, John Rechy, Martin Duberman, Edmund White, Larry Kramer, Amy Hoffman and more. The essays are grouped into four parts – Flashpoint: New York City June 1969, Flashback: The Roots of the Riots, Flash Forward: Aftermath and Diffusion, and Stonewall’s Legacy: Whither the Revolution?
This is an important addition to the literature about the LGBT movement and more: this is a selection of excellent writings by significant authors who helped shape history. Recommended highly.
Editor Richard Schneider Jr. has assembled a selection of essays from the past twenty five years issues of the Gay & Lesbian Review and in doing so he connects the coincidence of the founding of the important periodical on the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – that event that served as the founding event of the LGBT movement.
As he states in his Introductory comments, ‘I’ve chosen the title “In Search of Stonewall” for this collection because it seems to me that the events of 1969 remain elusive in at least two ways. First, there is the journalistic question of just what happened on the night of June 28th (who started the riot, what happened next, etc.). Second, because “Stonewall” exists as a symbol of the LGBT movement quite apart form the historic event itself, the search is always on for the meaning of Stonewall as it was first conceived and has evolved over the years. If nothing else, it is a marker in historical time with a clearly defined “before” and “after.” But to imply that Stonewall interrupted the flow of history, single-handedly resetting the LGBT calendar, is to pile a lot of responsibility onto a single event or era. Still, something happened, and it happened quite rapidly and even magically after the riots, so in this sense the search for Stonewall can also be a desire to reconnect with the overpowering energy and excitement of this period…’
What follows is a fascinating and informative selection of essays by such famous and celebrated authors as Andrew Holleran, Felice Picano, John Rechy, Martin Duberman, Edmund White, Larry Kramer, Amy Hoffman and more. The essays are grouped into four parts – Flashpoint: New York City June 1969, Flashback: The Roots of the Riots, Flash Forward: Aftermath and Diffusion, and Stonewall’s Legacy: Whither the Revolution?
This is an important addition to the literature about the LGBT movement and more: this is a selection of excellent writings by significant authors who helped shape history. Recommended highly.
February 17, 2019
Deeply moving. Insightful introduction by Richard Schneider Jr. and a wonderful, thought-provoking selection of essays covering all aspects of "the movement." It was wonderful to learn more about the very early days, the Mattachine Society and the quirky and brilliant Harry Hay, and to remember the early marches, the dances (and endless political meetings!) at the Firehouse, and the thrill of being involved in something that brought radical social change. This book is a gift to readers who can appreciate the long view of how our community evolved in the past fifty years.
June 14, 2023
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Gay & Lesbian Review and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots, the editors of the Review have assembled what they consider the best essays from 1994-2018 on the topic of Stonewall and its legacy. For anyone interested in gay studies and/or contemporary American studies.
December 29, 2019
Amazing to read this collection of articles and see how things have changed over the last 50 year.
September 3, 2024
It's an excellent anthology. It acknowledges that San Francisco and Los Angeles and the astronomer Frank Kameny in Washigton, D.C. had gay events well before Stonewall, but that Stonewall served as a flash point because, well, New York, the media capital of the universe. Some VERY good writing in the book - Andrew Holleran, Frank Browning - and an excellent compendium of what's been going on in the Gay and Lesbian Review.
August 6, 2023
I’m planning on suggesting this to everyone interested in LGBT history and the current state. The recent essays even stand true. Loved every essay and loved reading the different voices. My favorite essay was probably “The Birds as a Pre-Stonewall Parable” by Bob Smith. It was extremely hilarious and had my favorite quotes, as well as an intriguing analysis of the Birds.
“If we sex change Melanie… we have a story about a blond boy toy chasing a ruggedly handsome young daddy.”
“I like to think if the Bates Motel had been located in Bodega Bay, Mitch and Norman might have met and become boyfriends.”
“If we sex change Melanie… we have a story about a blond boy toy chasing a ruggedly handsome young daddy.”
“I like to think if the Bates Motel had been located in Bodega Bay, Mitch and Norman might have met and become boyfriends.”
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews