Reviews

4.5 — this book has a really strong thesis and direction, and is organized in a beautiful way that’s easy to follow. one of my favourite book niches is queer history examinations of a specific place, and this checks all my boxes. not only were gay historical figures examined, but working-class queer life, gender variance, and communities of POC. this is really clearly a passion project of Ryan’s built out of a love for brooklyn, history and queerness, and i could feel that before i even read the epilogue. if there was one thing i could critique, id enjoy more analysis of the past in addition to the retellings of it — although i know part of Ryan’s argument is that brooklyn’s queer history has been largely hidden, i love discussions of parallels between history and the present and would’ve appreciated more of them. regardless, really well done, thoughtfully researched, and painstakingly thorough book. would more than recommend, esp for ppl like me who love niche queer history, folks who live in brooklyn, and/or those who want to learn about stuff that’s been brushed over for a long time.

margotpolo's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

pvbobrien's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

rainbowbookworm's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is both too broad and too specific. I don't know what I was expecting when I picked it up, but overall I enjoyed reading about this slice of gay history.

ladybird4prez's review against another edition

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informative reflective

Well-researched, informative, and engaging, When Brooklyn Was Queer provides a look into decades of long-forgotten and erased history of often overlooked, vibrant queer communities. It was fascinating to learn about the oscillating LGBTQ+ acceptance as impacted by wars, economic opportunities, gentrification, suburbanization, moral policing, eugenics, and our understanding of gender, sex, and sexual orientation as separate but related concepts. Through it all, queer love or “the resourcefulness of queer desire,” as Hugh Ryan puts it, persisted, despite large barriers, heavy setbacks, and attacks on the community.

Ryan does a great job of exploring the rich queer history of Brooklyn. Still, it’s frustrating to think about just how much history was lost because queer people’s experiences weren’t properly recorded, preserved, or valued. I love what he said in the epilogue though, that he looks forward “to having a future where we already have a past.”

algaemarina's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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