John D'Emilio

Queer Legacies: Stories from Chicago's LGBTQ Archives

$29.99
Write a Review
Gift wrapping:
Options available

Description Hide Description- Show Description+

The variety of LGBTQ life in Chicago is too abundant and too diverse to be contained in a single place. But since 1981, the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives has striven to do just that, amassing a wealth of records related to the city’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identified people and organizations.

In Queer Legacies, John D’Emilio—a pioneering scholar in the field—digs deep into Gerber/Hart’s collection to unearth a kaleidoscopic look at the communities built by generations of LGBTQ people. Excavated from one of the country’s most important, yet overlooked, LGBTQ archives, D’Emilio’s entertaining and enthusiastic essays range in focus from politics and culture to social life, academia, and religion. He gives readers an inclusive and personal look at fifty years of a national fight for visibility, recognition, and equality led by LGBTQ Americans who, quite literally, made history. In these troubled times, it will surely inspire a new generation of scholars and activists.

Author: John D'Emilio 

Paperback Published October 2020 208 pages

 
“Informative and plainspoken. . . Makes a convincing case for the power of storytelling to build communities and movements, and the importance of archival records in preserving “a proud heritage of resistance.” This sparkling account has much to offer LGBTQ historians and activists.”-Publishers Weekly
 
 
“Reading Queer Legacies is like sitting across the dinner table, spellbound, as D’Emilio spins a tapestry of queer life in Chicago. By the time dessert arrives, you’ve not only learned a lot of history, but also what it’s like to find moving and shocking surprises in dusty archive boxes. D’Emilio has once again worked his magic.”-Leila Rupp, author of A Desired Past: A Short History of Same-Sex Love in America
 
“A wonderfully evocative book and an unparalleled look at Chicago’s LGBTQ past. Full of fascinating stories, Queer Legacies gives us a front-row seat to over fifty years of community building and activism.”-David K. Johnson, author of The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest updates on new products and upcoming sales

No thanks