I skimmed this for a class last fall, and am just now getting around to reading it in-depth. Upon full reading, though, I'm much more impressed than I was the beginning. Loughery pares a complex history down to a coherent narrative that neither imposes a "progress" story nor bemoans "culture nowadays." He gives a factual overview, but fills it with emotional stories. He focuses on a central story about mostly white gay men in America, but is always aware that men of color, bisexuals, lesbians, and trans people are part of this story, calling out the mainstream gay groups for actively excluding those people. He also maintains an awareness of regional differences and philosophical divisions, even while creating a national story.

The book was written in the 1990s, and Loughery's final reflections strongly reflect that, but I appreciate how strongly that position comes through rather than being buried or misleading and thus making the book less useful for modern readers. With that clarity, The Other Side of Silence remains vital basic reading for anyone interested in gay/queer history or how the American situation became what it is today. ( )