Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Stonewall Reader

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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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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ishouldreadthat's review

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emotional informative medium-paced

4.5

A fabulous collection of media from before, during, and after the Stonewall Riot that helps place the significance of the event in history and it's impact on LGBTQ rights today.

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