Gay New York by George Chauncey

 

Hello my lovely readers!

I FINALLY finished this book after reading it for YEARS. Well....I started reading it and then took a super long break and then finally finished it this week. It's not that the book was bad, I just needed to be in the mood to read this. Anyway, let's get into it.

BACKGROUND
In October 2018, I took a solo trip to Spain and Portugal. As I was huffing and puffing up a hill to get to Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal that I decided to keep pace with this girl named Gina.

She was traveling solo too and we spent the whole day together (well, at least at the Palace) taking photos together and chatting. She told me she was a newly married divorce attorney who lived in New York City. I told her I'd never been to New York City....I didn't see the hype in it. She urged me to come visit her so I could see how great her city was and I said I would.

Exactly one year later, I took a four-day trip to New York. I stayed with Gina, explored Brooklyn and Manhattan and lo and behold, my view of NYC changed. 

I really enjoyed myself and even stopped by to see her in 2021 when I took a day trip to the city with my husband while we were visiting New Jersey.

While in Brooklyn, I stopped by a local bookstore (the name escapes me) and bought Gay New York by George Chauncey.

SUMMARY
Gay New York examines gay male life, urban culture and gender between 1890 and 1940 in New York. It shatters the myth that before the 1960s, gay life didn't exist and if it did, it was only "in the closet" where gay men were isolated, invisible and self-hating.

Chauncey uses diaries, legal records and other unpublished documents to construct a fascinating portrait of vibrant, cohesive gay world.

MY THOUGHTS
Whether you're pro-LGBT or anti-LGBT, I think this book is essential reading. I really enjoy reading books about LGBT history because it's something that I don't know much about. I learned so much from this book, but if anything, the main takeaway for me is: NOTHING IS NEW UNDER THE SUN.

The same things that these gay men endured and the pushback to drag shows is what is still going on in today's society. It's honestly fascinating because this book really shows that nothing changes but the weather. It is an absolutely engrossing read.