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A review by brianlarson
When Brooklyn Was Queer: A History by Hugh Ryan
5.0
I loved every moment of this book. It follows LGBTQ history from the 1850s right up until the Stonewall Riots. Most- if not all- of this history goes unrecorded into today’s history textbooks. What’s resolutely true is that American history is indelibly linked to Queer herstory.
While a portion of the book retraces Brooklyn’s long queer history (from the the building of the Brooklyn Bridge to the expansion of NYC public transit to Coney Island) most of the chapters tackle queer American history at large (including the Lavender Scare, society’s evolving understanding of queer identity, and the consequences of the Great Depression, WWI & WWII on Queer America).
Take 5 minutes to learn something new about Queer icons like Mabel Hampton, Anne Moses, Alfred Gross, Gustave Beekman, and Walt Whitman!
While a portion of the book retraces Brooklyn’s long queer history (from the the building of the Brooklyn Bridge to the expansion of NYC public transit to Coney Island) most of the chapters tackle queer American history at large (including the Lavender Scare, society’s evolving understanding of queer identity, and the consequences of the Great Depression, WWI & WWII on Queer America).
Take 5 minutes to learn something new about Queer icons like Mabel Hampton, Anne Moses, Alfred Gross, Gustave Beekman, and Walt Whitman!