The Gay Revolution - The Story Of The Struggle

Even those within our community with admittedly limited knowledge or awareness of gay history are familiar with Stonewall, "The Advocate," Harvey Milk, Larry Kramer and Barney Frank. But what about equally important players like the Mattachine Society, Frank Kameny, the Daughters of Bilitis, Leonard Matlovich, the Lavender Hill Mob and Elaine Noble?

Lillian Faderman's meticulously researched, intricately detailed, overwhelmingly informative and inarguably compelling "The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle," leaves no stone unturned in its depiction of significant events, from the 1950s to present day, documenting the progression of the gay individual in society as criminal, crusader, contributor and commoner.

While same-sex marriage nationwide became reality just a few short months ago, Faderman turns back the clock more than a half-century when those just suspected of homosexual behavior risked the ruin of their careers and even jail time. Methods of blackmail and entrapment were not only the norm but encouraged by law enforcement authorities, all in an effort to prevent "normal" citizens from having to interact with moral undesirables.

More than a decade later yet well before Stonewall, activists Harry Hay and Dale Jennings launched the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis, respective gay and lesbian protest organizations that sparked the civil rights movement by attempting to assimilate with heterosexuals in religious, political and social settings. Their latent approach, which initially focused on how to coexist in the straight world without outing yourself, was ultimately overshadowed in the late 60s.

Aside from the Stonewall riots, which resulted in the Gay Liberation Front and introduced Pride celebrations as we know them today, the Homophile Action League was formed and legislative measures for wrongly terminated federal employees were spearheaded by stalwarts Frank Kemeny and Barbara Gittings. The Gay Activists Alliance staged creative, well-orchestrated pranks (or "zaps") against adversaries, and radical lesbians, like Rita Mae Brown, proved to be a militant albeit less than uniting force, especially with their male counterparts.

While a battle with the American Psychological Association to declassify homosexuals as diseased was under way, fair employment, anti-discrimination efforts, most famously in Miami with opponent Anita Bryant at the forefront, as well as Prop 6 in California during the Harvey Milk era and Initiative 13 in Seattle, all made headlines, for better or worse, culminating in the momentous 1979 march on Washington. Fear then rage ensued shortly thereafter when the AIDS plague reared its ugly head.

The second half of the book accounts for the more recent history of the past two-and-a-half decades, including the Don't Ask Don't Tell debacle and its eventual repeal under President Obama, consequential court cases that called attention to military service, next of kin and hospital visitation, sodomy laws, hate crimes and the yet-to-be Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Faderman's retelling of this timeline is so factual and accessible, occasionally supplemented with testimony from those who witnessed or made history, that it's almost as if the reader is reliving it. While the struggle referenced in the title is for equal rights, the book also serves as an encyclopedic resource of acronyms, terms and phrases - like Lambda Legal, PFLAG, National Coming Out Day and GLAAD.

"The Gay Revolution" not only provides that all-too-clich� reminder of how far we've come, but serves as a comprehensive history for even the most well-read, politically aware among us. Much like the journey outlined in this book, its publication is victorious.

"The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle"
Lillian Faderman
Simon & Schuster
$35.00