Making Gay History: The Half-Century Fight for Lesbian and Gay Equal Rights

This is an excellent collection of first-person narratives of gay life in America from 1945 to the present. The people interviewed cover everything from the Mattachine society to PFLAG to the GSA movement. Extremely useful for getting a broad look at the LGBT rights movement in America. I personally prefer "Making History" by the same author because the interviews appear all at once. This edition has events organized by date, which can be a little hard to follow.

I am glad to say I own a copy; an autographed one at that! This book is a collection of oral histories from gay rights activists over a 50 year span. It is diverse in terms of gender and race. I think Marcus even interviews pioneering straight allies as well. Many gay studies texts are not accessible to your everyday reader. However, any literate gay person could read this book. I majored in gay studies in college and I found this book to be a constant useful resource. I'm sad to see that it's out of print. Marcus has written many easy-to-read books that have advanced the cause of gay rights. He gets my applause.

This is one of those books that tells you more about yourself than you ever thought it could. This volume documents the history of the Gay and Lesbian movement from 1945-1990 in great detail. From the initial grasping at identity after WWII through the Mattachine Society and Stonewall, this book tells the story of our struggle for freedom. From the bashings throughout the decades to the loving way our community cared for those with AIDS, this book tells the story of our spirit. Making History invites you to meet the people who made us who we are today. An example? The psychologist - Dr. Evelyn Hooker - challenged by her gay friend and student Sammy to prove gay people were not ill. At first hesitant, she picked up the gauntlet, but hadn't finished her groundbreaking research before Sammy died in a car accident in 1945. These are just two of the many people in this book. You owe it to yourself to meet the others.