We, Too, Must Love

by Ann Aldrich, Marijane Meaker (Introduction), Stephanie Foote (Afterword)

A literary lesbian landmark that “will transport today’s readers . . . to the 1950s homosexual scene” ( Marcia M. Gallo, author of Different Daughters ). Three years after the publication of her groundbreaking 1955 bestseller, We Walk Alone , Ann Aldrich expanded on her journalistic portraits of lesbian subcultures in and around New York, in We, Too, Must Love . Inspired by the hundreds of letters she received by women from around the country (many reprinted here), Aldrich tackled questions of class division; explored the diverse careers lesbians held; guided readers through the social cliques and bar scenes; set the record straight on gay stereotypes; observed the differences among the “Village,” “Uptown,” and Brooklyn lesbian communities; and hinted at the growing consciousness that would fuel later lesbian and gay rights movements. We Walk Alone and We, Too, Must Love are, in effect, “indispensable guides to a hidden world” (Advocate.com). “Simultaneously intimate and investigative, subjective and discerning” ( UTNE Magazine ), “Aldrich touched innumerable lives and gave hope to lesbians mired in a harsh and ignorant era. Read these books to learn what it was like back then, what we believed and how we made a start in the struggle against prejudice.” —Ann Bannon, author of The Beebo Brinker Chronicles

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, History

185 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

"Ann Aldrich" is the pseudonym of Marijane Meaker (aka Vin Packer) and M. E. Kerr.

Ann Aldrich is also known as M.E. Kerr, Marijane Meaker, and Vin Packer.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best advice for this book is to step back and calm down, then give it another go after you walk around the block.

Ann Aldrich aka Marijane Meaker (and Vin Packer & M.E. Kerr) wrote this, and We Walk Alone, in response to Donald Webster Cory's expose of homosexual men in 1951. This Aldrich wrote for the ladies in 1958, as a study on lesbians as a group. Because absolutely nothing else was available for anyone to read, what Aldrich wrote was an authority. She based it on her 15 years of observations in the underground gay community in New York and there are two issues that arose when I read it.

The first is that it conflicts sharply with gay pride literature and speech, and there were some passages that I fought with angrily. Aldrich labeled lesbians as ill, neurotic, troubled, outcast, alcoholic, because quite frankly, there wasn't any other language to describe lesbians in 1958. There was no gay pride movement, and I had to remember that when it aroused my ire for her to be less than sympathetic. At times her voice was mine when I fought with myself as an adolescent, trying to like myself when what I felt and who I was, was clearly disgusting to so many people.

The second issue that arose was the spooky similarities Aldrich highlighted in her lesbian community, with the characteristics of mine, 50 years later. She describes members of a community who participate in drama, short relationships, hooking up for the wrong reasons, and being victimized by homophobia. Actually, she packed several seasons of The L Word plotlines in one book. Hers is immensely better, too. No Jenny.

It's interesting to note that the Daughters of Bilitis, the newly formed lesbian organization in 1958, hated these books of hers. They complained in print, accused her of self-hatred, gnashed and railed. She didn't like them very much either, but the animosity was mutually beneficial. Aldrich printed information about this bad organization, Daughters of Bilitis, and women wrote to her in the thousands, asking where they could find it. Then the DOB wrote about how awful her books were, which, no doubt, sold even more.

[Mary Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't actually recommend this because I think, for many, especially trans folks, the outdated language alone would be hella triggering. It was written in the 1950s and is kind of a study of lesbian culture, by a lesbian. I found it very entertaining to notice how similar dating dynamics seem to now as they were then, and she really calls out certain things that I think, even now, we have a hard time talking about- like abuse, family and passing, femme labor, gender presentation, and its effects on class and employment, and the relationship between lesbians and gay men. I enjoyed it! It was an easy read! But fuck, the language of the 50s is really gross to read.

[Sara G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is incredibly of its time. It's mean spirited and catty, transphobic, somewhat racist, hateful towards butch and any more masculine women, and oh so many other things. Still, there's a bit of charm in it. The sentiment of it shines through and it's a good one, even if it didn't age well. This book's goal is, very clearly, to offer an idea of community and I can't fault it for that. The chapter that especially worked for me is chapter 14, which talks about elderly lesbians and the way they had grown up (in the late 19th century) and survived into the 1950s. I wouldn't say to read it unless you're specifically using it for research, but I think it's still a valuable resource.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed a lot while reading the party / social scenes in this book

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meaker es una gran narradora, muy descriptiva, contrapuntística, y de tintes periodísticos. Sus fotografías textuales de bares lésbicos o de lugares como Fire Island resultan bastante entretenidas de leer; sus pequeñas historias siempre dejan una moraleja o tesis respecto a la existencia gay, sobre sus dinámicas y sus operaciones sociales, y resultan bastante nutritivas para el imaginario colectivo. Este libro es muy crudo y lleno de homofobia internalizada. Si eres lesbiana, hay cosas aquí que duelen hasta el fondo, porque retratan el estigma de ser homosexual, incluyendo estereotipos y prejuicios un tanto anticuados, e incluso veredictos tan errados como los del psicoanálisis, los cuales nos llegan a tachar de inmaduros o narcisistas. No es un libro bonito, pero sirve para hacer memoria, para recordar que hay que existir y resistir.