Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The Stonewall Reader by New York Public Library

23 reviews

amelody's review

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challenging emotional funny informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0


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khakipantsofsex's review

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3.0


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thabea's review

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emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0


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honeyvoiced's review

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informative medium-paced

4.0


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ramreadsagain's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring
Should be required reading. I learnt a lot reading this and it's always good to listen to direct sources. I didn't really know anything about what actually happened at the Stonewall before this! Not a single interview mentioned bricks lol

I also appreciate how diverse this collection is, featuring drag queens, trans women, Black gays and lesbians, all able to tell their stories.

A slight warning, some of the interviews are very much of their time (eg.  you'll need to be prepared to see words used that today are considered incredibly offensive) and some people fell into the trap of bringing others down in their efforts to rise (eg. franklin kameny claiming that gay people had it worse than Black people). 

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onewoman_bookclub's review

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0


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sunn_bleach's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

An amazing selection of oral histories, essays, prose-poems, monologues, interviews, and letters by gay rights activists written before, during, and after the Stonewall Riot. I would go so far as to say something like this could be mandatory reading for anyone even remotely interested in LGBT history in the USA, with no shying away from the horror and fear. Even more important for straight allies who would like a window into understanding what it could possible be like to be persecuted for your love.

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autumn_riley05's review

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informative reflective

5.0

This book is such a valuable resource! A wonderful collection of essays, articles, interviews, and more that takes the reader through queer history and the queer experience from the 50s, through Stonewall, and after. 

The During Stonewall section paints a very real picture of the riots and the queer community at that time, which is to say, a messy picture. I think the book does a great job in rejecting any “definitive” telling of the Stonewall riots and instead sharing the sometimes conflicting perspectives of many. The focus is not on what “actually” happened, but on how the event affected different community members. 

I especially enjoyed the Before Stonewall and After Stonewall collections. Some essays are more informative, and some more personal and reflective. I loved learning more about queer organizations and activism of the past, as well as finding my own feelings of queer experience reflected in the words of others. Not every essay is a hit, but I believe every reader will find something that connects deeply with them somewhere within. 

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retrogirl20's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This was such a fascinating read! I listened to the audiobook, which I recommend as do others, since you are able to hear some of the actual recorded interviews rather than readings of them. It is great to understand the perspectives and changes that have happed in the LGBTQIA+ communities before and after the StoneWall uprising. Hearing the history from the people who experienced it is incredible and must be maintained if we want to move forward. This was so good.

The content warnings I included are due to the nature of history and its harsh realities. As this book is about the hardships that the LGTBQIA+ community has gone through, it covers the hard topics as well as use language that we no longer use, but as these are direct readings of the interviews of the time it is important to read with that lens. 

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mobygrapes's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0


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