Scan barcode
A review by thesarahkay
When Brooklyn Was Queer: A History by Hugh Ryan
5.0
An inspiring history, so much so that I based a homebrew D&D campaign on it.
Reading about generations of queen folk who lived in their own ways all over Brooklyn made this borough all the more special. A well researched and well told history. I enjoyed reading about queer life in BK through the decades, and in particular found the overall narrative of how our understanding and categorization of “queer” people has evolved over time. It’s surprising to learn about periods and neighborhoods and people who were accepting or indifferent to non-normative people and relationships. More than anything this book dispelled the narrative that our society has gradually become more accepting of LQBTQ+ identities, and instead highlighted the ebb and flow: periods of greater acceptance followed by increased close-mindedness. The world is wide, and reading about pockets of
Reading about generations of queen folk who lived in their own ways all over Brooklyn made this borough all the more special. A well researched and well told history. I enjoyed reading about queer life in BK through the decades, and in particular found the overall narrative of how our understanding and categorization of “queer” people has evolved over time. It’s surprising to learn about periods and neighborhoods and people who were accepting or indifferent to non-normative people and relationships. More than anything this book dispelled the narrative that our society has gradually become more accepting of LQBTQ+ identities, and instead highlighted the ebb and flow: periods of greater acceptance followed by increased close-mindedness. The world is wide, and reading about pockets of