Synopsis
The first collection of the writings and speeches of the founder of the gay liberation movement records his efforts to win acceptance of gays and lesbians as a cultural minority and his reflections on Marxism, spirituality, art, and politics.
Reviews
In 1950, Hay and fellow activists in Los Angeles founded the Mattachine Society, a pioneering homosexual rights group that helped lay the groundwork for contemporary lesbian/gay activism. This collection of Hay's essays, talks, pamphlets and manifestos reflects his insistence that gays are a cultural minority with shared values, psychological orientation, historical heritage and modes of communication. This perspective flowed from Hay's research into French Renaissance "fool" societies, which staged public plays spiked with political satire and gender reversal, and into the Native American berdache, a practice whereby men live as women (or vice versa) and combine the work and social roles of both sexes while being recognized as a distinct third gender. In 1979, Hay and others launched the "radical faerie" network, providing support groups and emphasizing gay spirituality to counter urban depersonalization. His pointed critique of homophobia and his exhortations to gays seeking self-acceptance make this collection especially timely. Roscoe, who has taught anthropology and Native American studies at the University of California, provides a useful introduction as well as commentaries on each selection. Translation rights: Jed Mattes.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This collection of writings spans 50 years in the intellectual development of Hay, one of the founders of the modern Gay Rights Movement. Beginning in the late 1940s, Hay organized the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest homophile groups formed to bring public acceptance to the lives of gay Americans. For better or worse, Hay formulated the idea of the homosexual as a political minority, and since then he has been in the vanguard fighting for equal treatment for gays and lesbians. Following the evolution of Hay's intellectual development in roughly chronological, this strong collection of essays puts the current debate over gay rights in a clearer historical perspective; for example, despite the recent battle over gays in the military, Hay organized one of the first public demonstrations against the military's exclusionary rules in 1966. Now, at the age of 84, Hay is active in the radical faerie movement, which celebrates the fundamental differences and unique perceptions with which gays view the world. This title will be of particular interest to the gay studies community, as well as more knowledgeable lay readers patronizing larger collections.?Jeffery Ingram, Newport P.L., Ore.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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