LGBT people are some of the coolest in history – Freddie Mercury, Divine, Virginia Woolf, Marlene Dietrich, Andy Warhol... the list goes on. Queer subculture has had an enormous impact on style, music, science, art and literature. From Oscar Wilde, who defended his homosexual relationships in court, to Rupaul acting as an ambassador for drag on network television, queer people have fought to express their identities and make a difference. This book will celebrate the lives, work, and unique perspectives of the icons who changed the world. Featuring beautifully illustrated portraits and profiles, 50 Queers Who Changed the World is a tribute to some of the most inspirational people of all time
Winner of the Stonewall Book Award in nonfiction The first comprehensive history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender America, from pre-1492 to the present "Readable, radical, and smart—a must read."—Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home Intellectually dynamic and endlessly provocative, this is more than a “who’s who” of queer history: it is a narrative that radically challenges how we understand American history. Drawing upon primary documents, literature, and cultural histories, scholar and activist Michael Bronski charts the breadth of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history, from 1492 to the present, a testament to how the LGBTQ+ experience has profoundly shaped American culture and history. American history abounds with unknown or ignored examples of queer life, from the ineffectiveness of sodomy laws in the colonies to the prevalence of cross-dressing women soldiers in the Civil War and resistance to homophobic social purity movements. Bronski highlights such groundbreaking moments of queer history as: • In the 1620s, Thomas Morton broke from Plymouth Colony and founded Merrymount, which celebrated same-sex desire, atheism, and interracial marriage. •Transgender evangelist Jemima Wilkinson, in the early 1800s, changed her name to "Publick Universal Friend," refused to use pronouns, fought for gender equality, and led her own congregation in upstate New York. • In the mid-19th century, internationally famous Shakespearean actor Charlotte Cushman led an openly lesbian life, including a well-publicized “female marriage.” • in the late 1920s, Augustus Granville Dill was fired by W. E. B. Du Bois from the NAACP’s magazine the Crisis after being arrested for a homosexual encounter. Informative and empowering, this engrossing and revelatory treatise emphasizes that there is no American history without queer history.
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2017 * A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book for Teens 2017 This first-ever LGBTQ history book of its kind for young adults will appeal to fans of fun, empowering pop-culture books like Rad American Women A-Z and Notorious RBG. Three starred reviews! World history has been made by countless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals—and you’ve never heard of many of them. Queer author and activist Sarah Prager delves deep into the lives of 23 people who fought, created, and loved on their own terms. From high-profile figures like Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt to the trailblazing gender-ambiguous Queen of Sweden and a bisexual blues singer who didn’t make it into your history books, these astonishing true stories uncover a rich queer heritage that encompasses every culture, in every era. By turns hilarious and inspiring, the beautifully illustrated Queer, There, and Everywhere is for anyone who wants the real story of the queer rights movement. A Junior Library Guild Selection
Everybody loves secrets. We're all fascinated by celebrities, the rich, the powerful, and the famous. When scandals break out we want to read all about it. And the surest way to get anyone's attention is to start talking about sex. Now there's a book that has all this and much more, with over 900 amazing stories about prominent people from ancient Egypt to today who, in their personal lives, all had one thing in common. They were all gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Movie stars, musicians, kings, queens, soldiers, athletes, scientists, and even religious leaders from all over the world. The book is called Queers in History. It's a funny title and definitely a fun read. But there's also tons of serious useful information revealing a secret side of these famous personalities. Queers in History reveals the compelling stories about some of your favorite folks that are usually left out of their official biographies. Did you know that, for instance: * Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe had a one-night-stand? * Leonardo da Vinci was imprisoned twice for same-sex affairs? * Leonard Bernstein had an affair with an Israeli soldier? * The lesbian wife of a gay actor accused Howard Hughes of having an affair with her husband shortly before his mysterious murder? * The founder of Shinto Buddhism also founded a tradition of male-male love in Japan? * Angelina Jolie wanted to marry her "Firefox" co-star Jenny Shimizu? * The wife of one US president moved her girlfriend into the White House, and another US President shared his White House bed with the male chief of his security detail? * An heroic soldier in the US Revolution was actually a woman in disguise, who "married" another woman after her service in the Continental Army? * And in 1886, when US officials asked an Indian tribe to send "their best woman" to visit Washington, DC, the tribe chose instead to send a man in a dress?These are just a few of the historical facts you'll learn from Queers in History. It took 17 years to gather the information that fills over 500 pages in this trade paperback. One of the most amazing facts is that Queers in History is only $13.67 if you pre-order on Amazon.com . That's a lot less than a penny per fact, all from reliable sources.But Queers in History is much more than a collection of facts. Each person's life is presented as an entertaining short story, showing how their sexuality affected their lives and their work. And though it's about gay people, it's something everybody will be interested in, especially straight people who may not know as much as they think they do about some of their favorite celebrities. The previous edition got rave reviews in USA Today, Wired magazine, The Village Voice, and many others.Put this book on your coffee table before your next party and a few minutes later it will be the main topic of conversation. Just don't put it in the bathroom because the first person in there may lock the door and not come out until they've finished reading it. My name's Keith Stern, I wrote Queers in History, and I've produced some of the most popular biographical websites on the Internet. Sir Ian McKellen, better known as Gandalf and Magneto in the movies, has contributed an inspirational foreword to the book. Visit www.queersinhistory.com for more information.
Have pride in history. A rich and sweeping photographic history of the Queer Liberation Movement, from the creators and curators of the massively popular Instagram account LGBT History. “If you think the fight for justice and equality only began in the streets outside Stonewall, with brave patrons of a bar fighting back, you need to read We Are Everywhere right now.”—Anderson Cooper Through the lenses of protest, power, and pride, We Are Everywhere is an essential and empowering introduction to the history of the fight for queer liberation. Combining exhaustively researched narrative with meticulously curated photographs, the book traces queer activism from its roots in late-nineteenth-century Europe—long before the pivotal Stonewall Riots of 1969—to the gender warriors leading the charge today. Featuring more than 300 images from more than seventy photographers and twenty archives, this inclusive and intersectional book enables us to truly see queer history unlike anything before, with glimpses of activism in the decades preceding and following Stonewall, family life, marches, protests, celebrations, mourning, and Pride. By challenging many of the assumptions that dominate mainstream LGBTQ+ history, We Are Everywhere shows readers how they can—and must—honor the queer past in order to shape our liberated future.
50 Drag Queens Who Changed the World is a tribute to the hugely influential pioneers who have shaped the fantastic world of drag, as well as the queens of today that we all know and love. Learn about the wild and brilliant lives of Mama Ru and the best-loved Drag Race superstars, including Alaska, Bianca Del Rio and Courtney Act, as well as legends like Divine and Lady Bunny, and the new scene of radical contemporary drag artists, such as Amrou Al-Kadhi and Victoria Sin. Drag queens have been sissying that walk for a lot longer than you think, and this book is a sparkling celebration of the high-heeled, hairsprayed, punk-rock art form that has influenced pop culture for as long as it has been around.
This is the story of England's greatest royal dynasty. The Plantagenets ruled England through eight generations between 1154 and 1399, and produced some of the most famous - and infamous - kings this country has ever seen.
‘One of the greatest global creative change-makers and activists in the world right now brings his incredible charisma, provocation and personality into this important book.' Ruth Daniel, CEO and Artistic Director, In Place of War 'United Queerdom is a thing of beauty. Dan Glass has penned a memoir that pulsates with existential rage, solidarity, and tactical hope.’ Amin Ghaziani, author of There Goes the Gayborhood? Throughout the 1970s the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) initiated an anarchic campaign that permanently changed the face of Britain. Inspired by the Stonewall uprisings in the US, the GLF demanded a 'Absolute Freedom For All' worldwide. Yet half a century on, injustice is rife and LGBT+ inequality remains. Complete LGBT+ liberation means housing rights, universal healthcare, economic freedom and so much more. Although many people believe queers are now free and should behave, assimilate and become palatable – Dan Glass shows that the fight is far from over. United Queerdom evocatively captures over five decades of LGBT+ culture and protest from the GLF to 2020s. Showing how central protest is to queer history and identity this book uncovers the back-breaking hard work as well as the glamorous and raucous stories of those who rebelled against injustice and became founders in the story of queer liberation.
