Out in the World: Gay and Lesbian Life from Buenos Aires to Bangkok [Paperback]

Neil Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 1993

A journalistic account of gay and lesbian life in the diverse gay communities of Thailand, Germany, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and other locales, sheds light on the cultural, political, and social factors influencing gay life. 20,000 first printing. Tour.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Miller ( In Search of Gay America ) traveled for two and a half years through 12 countries, observing gay and lesbian life. This crisply written report underscores sharp cultural differences as it moves from Denmark, where homosexual partnerships enjoy virtually the same legal status as heterosexual marriage, to Argentina, which is home to entrenched, violent, socially sanctioned prejudice against homosexuality. In Japan, Thailand and Egypt, Miller encountered cultures in which same-sex relations have traditionally been accepted, while the larger fact of people's gay identities has been denied. In Australia, he found extremely enlightened AIDS policies. Among Australian Aborigines, black or mixed-race South Africans, and Maoris in New Zealand, he pondered the dilemma faced by people struggling to combine gay awareness with cultural and racial identities. In reunited Germany and post-1989 Czechoslovakia, Miller noted considerable political tolerance toward gays and lesbians. His compelling survey documents the international effects of the AIDS epidemic in forging gay community. Author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Continuing in the style of his prize-winning In Search of Gay America ( LJ 4/15/89), Miller extends his examination of lesbian and gay life to 12 nations on five continents. From police repression of gay gatherings in Argentina to government-sanctioned marriages of same-sex couples in Denmark, Miller relates stories of both closeted and openly gay individuals. Interviewees share how their respective cultures have enabled or inhibited them from expressing their affections. In the face of oppression, the indomitable spirit of lesbians and gay men the world over is revealed. Miller acknowledges the book's slant toward the gay male experience, having found it difficult to contact as many lesbians as he wished. Still, more than any other, this work offers keen insight into the diversity and commonality of international gay life. Out in the World is highly recommended for public and ac ademic libraries.
- Stephen Newcomer, Los Angeles P.L.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (November 2, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679745513
• ISBN-13: 978-0679745518
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,789,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Neil Miller teaches journalism at Tufts University and is the award-winning author of five nonfiction books. His most recent work, Kartchner Caverns, won the 2009 Arizona Book Award.

Photo by Paul Brouillette

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gays of the world are here!, February 18, 2003

By 

Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out in the World: Gay and Lesbian Life from Buenos Aires to Bangkok (Paperback)

This book was great. In it, Miller visits every continent inhabited by humans and speaks with local gays about their lives. The great thing is, he makes a point of speaking to lesbians, gays of color, and the HIV-positive in all these countries. This would be a great book for gays and lesbians of color to read. There are two chapters on Thailand and this may feel a little exploitative and sex-touristy, but Miller is an obvious progressive and wouldn't mean to offend intentionally. While reading this book, you will ask yourself how Miller got the money to do so much travelling and investigating in the first place. Readers will wish they had the opportunities that the author had. This book was both informative and fun.

4.0 out of 5 stars Dated, But Still Relevant, December 23, 2006

By 

J Martin Jellinek (Memphis, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Out in the World: Gay and Lesbian Life from Buenos Aires to Bangkok (Paperback)

From my reading of gay and lesbian literature, Out in the World is a unique book. In it, Miller discusses gay and lesbian communities in many different countries, each with unique challenges and opportunities. Although the book is dated (it was first published in 1992), and although the situations may well have changed in the specific countries that are included in the study, Miller's insights are still very relevant as we deal with issues facing the gay and lesbian community today. As he states in his introduction, Miller is a journalist, and the writing style is reflective of this background. It is informative and direct without being dry or flowery. Out in the World is well worth reading.

3.0 out of 5 stars Out-of-date, but a priceless document of history, September 17, 2006

By 

David Alston (Chapel Hill, NC, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Out in the World: Gay and Lesbian Life from Buenos Aires to Bangkok (Paperback)

At this point, OUT IN THE WORLD is anachronistic, but this is a blessing: the gay and lesbian movement progresses globally, and the conditions - which in some cases are quite dire - Miller relates here have changed somewhat. Published at the dawn of the internet, the change has been dramatic in at least a few instances.

OUT IN THE WORLD is still very valuable as a reminder of history, and of the struggles vast numbers of great people had to make to live with some dignity and security. In an era in which certain numbers of gay and lesbian individuals might be tempted to take certain hard-fought goals for granted, this is a vivid antidote to complacency.

For a more up-to-the-minute investigation of the state of the gay and lesbian world, take a look at the 2003 documentary DANGEROUS LIVING: Coming Out In The Developing World, which revisits much of the same territory investigated by Miller.

-David Alston