Under the Rainbow: Growing Up Gay

Kantrowitz, Arnie. "Under the Rainbow: Growing Up Gay". Morrow, 1977. An Early Treasure Amos Lassen "Under the Rainbow" is one of the first gay books I ever read and although it was written 30 years ago I found when rereading it last night that it still has a lot to say. Arnie Kantrowitz has always been one of my heroes because he dared to buck the system for gay rights when not many dared to do so. He is a "good Jewish boy" who was a child t very difficult parents or as he calls them "Freudian classics" and he happened to turn out to be gay. This book is his story and it gives great insight of what it is like to grow up Jewish and gay. We learn all about him from his earliest recognition that he had same-sex tendencies and read about his coming out of the closet a long time later and his ultimately becoming a national spokesman and gay activist. He appeared on the Jack Paar show early on when talk shows were new and because of this he was uninvited by his parents to the yearly Passover mean and his uncle declared him to be dead. The beauty of the book is that he omits nothing. In the beginning he tried to love both women and men and finally had to admit the truth to the women who loved him. He attempted suicide several times and did not succeed. His life is filled with sex--anonymous, random and bathhouse orgies, he cruised Fire Island, and bathrooms for gratification. He became involved in politics and he lived on a gay commune and he lived the history of our movement and community. The boy focuses on his gay experiences but it does not leave out the author's other life--ethnic, psychological, educational and spiritual. We get a whole picture of the whole man and he is quite a man. Memoirs written in the first person can be very boring reads but this is one that will hold your interest and have you flipping pages. His views and insights on organizing for gay rights are wonderful as is the way he writes on his relationship with his family, his lovers and his friends. There is neither bitterness nor regret here. I love the way Kantrowitz wrote of his mother--she is THE Jewish mother--complex, intelligent and resourceful and dominating. I also respect greatly the way our freedoms were stressed and knowing that the author had something to do with us achieving them gives me a sense of kinship with him. This is a touching book especially when we realize that so much of it is part of our history. He writes of tolerance and acceptance and above all loving yourself, something all of us need to do a little more. This is a book that demands to be read and it is a pity tthat not many know about it. Kantrowitz is open and honest and he moved me to tears on several occasions. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I had Professor Kantrowitz as my English teacher in college and I was glad I took his class. He mentioned during class that he wrote a book dealing with his sexuality. I think I might have been the only person to read it. Arnie makes the book his and flies with it. I am amazed that he is as bright and cheerfull as he is today considering. I spoke with him in office about the book and a brief shadow of sadness reflected on his face. I give due credit to him for the strength he has and the obstacles he overcame.

This is a sweet, wonderful, easily readable book about one man's life before and after Stonewall.First-person stories about being gay can be boring, especially if they've very confessional in nature. Kantrowitz thankfully avoids that. He speaks about the inside politics of gay rights organizing, and relationships with family, lovers and friends, without bitterness.... One of things I found most interesting in Under The Rainbow was the portrayal of Arnie's mother. Like Arnie, I'm Jewish, and personally, I've come to find the doting, ...nurturing "greenhorn" yiddishe mama figure in literature two-dimensional and unrealistic. In contrast, Arnie's portrayal of his mother is that of a complex, intelligent, resourceful woman tormented by being of two mindsets, that of New York City and "the shtetl". ...Under the Rainbow also explores the dynamics of poverty in the Jewish community, which is a refreshing change from the usual first-generation-tailor-second-generation-doctor immigrant success story. I'm also gay, and this book make me grateful for the freedoms I have now. I hope that more gay people in their twenties read this. Knowing one's own history is important. I don't have any harsh criticisms of this book. Would every gay person see themselves in this book? Probably not, but it's ridiculous to presume that all gay people should. Some readers would probably be rankled by Kantrowitz's left-wing politics (though others would say he isn't radical enough), others by the S and M, others by not seeing their specific ethnic groups represented. You can't please everyone. How much can you fit in one book that you can still carry around?The only reason I don't give it more than four stars is that I'm not sure any book is perfect.

Arnie Kantrowitz was my College Professor, and it was there that he told us about his book. I purchased it, and I was floored. I am a heterosexual female, and I felt like I knew what he was going through. His memories; funny, sad, and always vivid, touched me as few books ever have. Though I have not seen him in several years, the lessons I learned in his class, and his book, guide me today. His book is about tolerance, acceptance, and self-love, something we can all use a little of. Wherever you are, Professor Kantrowitz, I love you!

This coming out story should be required reading! To all those who thought the "classic" coming out story was John Reid's BEST LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD, all I can say is, you must read UNDER THE RAINBOW. Arnie Kantrowitz is open and honest about his life in a way Reid never attempted. Reading this book, I was frequently moved to tears as I recognized in his story the same experiences I had had in my own coming-out process. It is a shame that this book is not better known; it is the best book of its kind that I have ever read. Don't miss this one!