Customer Reviews

Out for Good: The Struggle to Build a Gay Rights Movement in America

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The stories and the narrative here are great and well-explained. True, the authors don't explain much about where the characters come from and just tell us that the characters are there and deal with it. Another fault here is that the authors don't really try to carry themes through the book or explain anything within a broader picture. The entire book is in the here and now and there is no big-picture thought. It's good at what it is but I wish the authors had tried to do more. Or maybe they'll write another book...

And as always, the role of San Francisco in the GLBT movement gets short shrift. In the book's foreward the authors say that's because SF has been so well-documented. Hogwash. I can name a dozen books that have beat the NYC GLBT movement to death and only a couple about SF (most by one man).

Last comment: the authors again ignored the contributions of the various subsets of GLBT culture. In particular the authors never mention the leather community nor the drag community except in passing and as kind of footnotes to what everyone else did. That's revisionist history and gives short shrift to some of the hardest-workers in the movement. Come on guys, a leatherman started the Advocate and the first GLBT community center, for example, yet neither is mentioned in those terms.

Clendinen and Nagourney have performed a detailed documentation of a period in gay history (1950s through the late 80's) with a typical emphasis during the five year period surrounding the 1969 Stonewall riot. The history serves as a rich illustration of the individuals (although lacking in academic detail as to why certain people were chosen to be highlighted and others were not). The book is based on a series of interviews made during 1993 and especially 1994, with many who are no longer living. As such, the period of time to document the interviews and then the prolonged period to get to print creates a book that while rich in period detail (1965-1975) rapidly peters out in its discussion of AIDS, election of Clinton, etc. which have greated far greater impacts on Gay rights, Gay Culture and the evolving acceptance (as slow as it is) of gay people in American society. A strong point is its balanced view and discussion of the gay movement prior to Stonewall and its attempt to demystify the importance given to this one particular event. Its discussion of the ongoing conflicts between the various social classes involved in the gay movement and showing that this was present from the very start is important for any younger gay person today trying to understand why certain onging tensions and conflicts exist in the gay community and why certain national gay rights groups exist (e.g., NGLTF, HRC, etc.).

This is an unsatisfactory book, mean-spirited and inaccurate. The authors reduce the homophile (pre-Stonewall) movement, the Gay Liberation Front, and the Gay Activists Alliance to a series of petty squabbles. They utterly fail to appreciate the courage and magnanimity of the pioneers in the struggle for gay rights. They fail to convey the radical vision of GLF or the political savvy of GAA. The most important publications, activities and demonstrations are not even mentioned. People who willingly sacrificed their careers for the movement are denigrated in crass physical terms -- as "roly poly" or looking like a "string bean" or a "turtle", or having a "nasal" voice, or sounding like a "foghorn", or being "tight little-old-mannish". There are dozens and dozens of mistakes. The authors seem unaware that Morty Manford was a President of GAA. They don't know the year of the GAA fire (1974), or that GAA continued on a smaller scale for a number of years after that. Above all, the book is BORING. And whatever else you can say about the gay liberation movement of the '70s, it was not boring.

As both authors are press people, it is not surprising that the most consistent criticism of this book is the lack of context and background. It is often said that news writers sacrifice the larger picture for the sake of detail. That also applies to news writers doing history.

That said, this is a damn good book, primarily because of the details. For those thinking the account is too New York centric (after all the two authors come from the New York Times), all I can say is that the contributions from places other than New York and San Francisco (such as Minnesota and Miami) are acknowledged.


However for me the biggest elephant in the room for this book is the almost total neglect of the news and popular media's role in the shaping of the gay movement. I always thought newspaper people like to talk about their business. But it seems that the authors prefer the "fly on the wall" position. And I think that is a bit dishonest.

this is the first book i have seen that truly only focuses on the gay rights movement in the last half of the twentieth century in america. it is one of the most captivating nonfiction books i have read in a long time and i had trouble putting it down. this book is perfect for any body who has an interest in the gay rights movement... or any movement for civil rights.

This is far from a dry, boring history. It is full of colorful stories that keep you reading through the night while informing you of the real struggle of real people. This book really helps you to know how far we've come and how much further we really have to go.... BRAVO on a very well written book!

It is obvious that the two people below have not read the book considering the issues they comment on are not what the book is about. It's sad that there are ignorant people in this world who cannot think for themselves, but so be it.

This book is an extremely vivid account on the gay rights movement in america and should not be overlooked because of a couple of bigots. The book has nothing to do with the debate of homosexuality being caused by genetic reasons or if gays should come out of the closet. Open your mind and read this book and afterwords make comments. If you are straight and a homophobe read this book... challenge your current ideas. Think for once in your life.

I believe this book should be REQUIRED reading in school. There would be more realization that we ALL have the same desires for freedom, equality and love in this world. Also, how difficult the fight for this equality that you and I take for granted. Race, religion, ethnicity are equal, but we don't think that those who desire to love who they were born to love, (we are talking about TWO EQUAL ADULTS, not anything else) deserve to have that freedom and respect we take for granted? Homosexuality NEEDS to be seen in all media as NORMAL!!! Not a CHOICE, where some human beings a "just choosing" to be with the same sex. This IS as our CREATOR made them. The desire of their heart is pure as it is TWO EQUAL ADULTS!!! TO see it otherwise, causes, those who enjoy disgracing anyone vulnerable, to be abusive in so many ways, and those who are born to love their same sex, to feel defective or inadequate in some way, leading to suicide in many cases. The inequality HAS to end. It has been LONG ENOUGH for these souls. I have known and am related to some. They happen to be ALL exceptionally good and generous people. One of my relatives, has fought his entire life. It is time we embrace each other as all children of the same Creator, and let those who have been fighting so long, to rest, at last. If we believe this "Creator" is one of Love, then that is what they would desire too!

Please buy this book and, give it to someone this Holiday Season! Thank You!!!!