Witness to Revolution: "The Advocate" Reports on Gay and Lesbian Politics, 19671998

If you are looking for a source that can give an insightful inside look at the gay movement, then Witness to Revolution: The Advocate Reports on Gay and Lesbian Politics, 1967-1999 is a great book. Edited by Chris Bull, this book is a collection of articles from the Advocate, a newspaper that began in 1967 to serve the needs of the homosexual community at a time when news that was important to homosexuals was not being reported elsewhere. Witness to Revolution covers the major incidents and people during this time period including Stonewall, the formation of a movement and the various organizations that emerged, Harvey Milk, AIDS, and the military issue. More importantly this book reports on many of the smaller incidents and lesser-known facts. For example, I learned from this book that the first attempt at a legal gay marriage occurred in LA in 1970 at the First Metropolitan Church between two women. What I enjoyed most about this book was its political aspect and it's in depth look at certain politicians. In particular I was surprised to hear of Barry Goldwater's support of gays in the military and of Barbara Jordan's sexuality. I also thought that the more current issues, such as the slaying of Matthew Sheppard, were well written and thought provoking. The book also did a good job at looking at major critics and supporters of the movement and documenting changes in laws of various states. My main criticism was that at times I thought the booked skipped out on details of major events, but this could be contributed to the enormity of the time frame being written about. The articles were also written in a very matter of fact manner, and I found that as time progressed they got better. So, if you are looking for a book that can give a brief synopsis of events over the last 30 years relating to the gay movement, then Witness to Revolution is an excellent choice. It not only gives a fairly unbiased view, but it is also a good source for reports written at the time of the event.

Anyone who is concered about LBTG issues or wants to learn personal stories from the gay rights movement in the U.S. should definitly read this compilation book. I feel that the major factor contributing to this book's powerful and saddening effects is the salience and repetition of stories regarding the struggle for queer rights, the effects of HIV/AIDS on the queer community, and issues of sex, religion, and politics and legislation. This book has served as a reality check to myself, a young lesbian, who is not faced with anything close to the type of oppression many queers faced in the late 60's and early 70's.We have come a long way in the struggle for queer rights. This book is an emotional journey through the hardest times for queer people in the U.S., and Chris Bull organizes these articles in a succinct and breathtaking manner. Pick up the book and flip to any page, and I can almost guarantee you will be taken aback by any one of these articles. More than anything this book gave me a historical context for which to better understand and appreciate the realities of today.

Overflowing with reprints from the best of the national GLBT magazine's history, this book is a wonderful collection of primary sources. All people who read this book will come away with a better sense of what freedom and civil rights mean. As a fair minded heterosexual, I consider myself cognizant of LGBT issues, but even I was unprepared foe the emotional response I had reading the book. Because my friends do not have to worry about their nightclubs being raided without severe outcry from all segments of the city I am grateful to the early pioneers and stonewall rebelsI also am fascinated to see when and what celebrities appeared on the cover. ---Especially in the early years where there might have been some resistance to appearing in a gay-marketed publication. Even in Hollywood, there was a closet policy for a while. Those people who did appear in the magazine were courageous. In 1972, Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) became the first presidential candidate to strongly go on record supporting full equality for gay and lesbian Americans. While much has been made about the increasing conservatism in the nation's capitol, a look at Kennedy's voting record and press statements confirms that Kennedy's stance for equality has only hardened over time. Today, the Massachusetts Democrat is considered more ideologically pro-gay than Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. The only problem with this book stems from the lack of cover photos to see how the magazine has changed over the years. Although the text tells us it evolved from a newspaper to a glossy magazine, my journalistic background means I get a lot more out of seeing the progression for myself. Certainly, there are people who would argue the glossy transformation defanged the potential for liberation, and I think this is a valid point, but I also see the argument for using gloss and mainstreaming the magazine. Not only will you reach more GLBT people (some of whom are more conservative) but you will also develop credentials with the mainstream media, which will more directly influence the direction of public policy. Although Bull is frustrated that his own magazine was as unenlightened as the straight press when it came to early reporting on AIDS, I can understand the schizophrenia After all of the victories won in the 1960s and 1970's. the largest threat to the community was a silent killer apparently transmitted through lovemaking. The idea that a disease could pick out a specifically subordinated group must have seemed like a nightmare from the propaganda machines of the Christian right---but it was not. Hindsight also says that there should have been a fourth section to better facilitate coverage of the 1990's. Since the GLBT movement had an unprecedented level of success triumphs and overall visibility's during this time, I would have figured this would have benefited The Advocate.