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A review by idilemmi
Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution by David Carter
4.0
(3.5)
to say that i have mixed feelings would be an understatement. i picked the book up when i managed to turn one of my most recent research spirals into something viable for uni assignments (my new approach is that if i am not taught what i want i will find a way to teach myself and make it everyone else's problem) and i must say — the book is very exhaustive. it covers not only the events of the riots, but what led up to them, the socio-political situation not only of NYC but also of San Francisco, the legislations against and the grievances of the queer community in the sixties, the political organisations that followed.
however. this is the story of gay (caucasian) men, with some lesbians peppered in here and there. trans and poc folx take on a marginal role, when they are mentioned, depicting a version of the stonewall riots far different from the one i've grown accustomed to. the language is also far from ideal (e.g. trans women are addressed as "transgendered men") and while Carter does justify both linguistic choices and narratives in the conclusions, i think much can be said about inclusiveness and who is in charge of deciding what side of history gets told.
to say that i have mixed feelings would be an understatement. i picked the book up when i managed to turn one of my most recent research spirals into something viable for uni assignments (my new approach is that if i am not taught what i want i will find a way to teach myself and make it everyone else's problem) and i must say — the book is very exhaustive. it covers not only the events of the riots, but what led up to them, the socio-political situation not only of NYC but also of San Francisco, the legislations against and the grievances of the queer community in the sixties, the political organisations that followed.
however. this is the story of gay (caucasian) men, with some lesbians peppered in here and there. trans and poc folx take on a marginal role, when they are mentioned, depicting a version of the stonewall riots far different from the one i've grown accustomed to. the language is also far from ideal (e.g. trans women are addressed as "transgendered men") and while Carter does justify both linguistic choices and narratives in the conclusions, i think much can be said about inclusiveness and who is in charge of deciding what side of history gets told.