The New York Public Library

Ashowcase of the work of activists and participants in the Stonewall uprising, published to coincide with the 50th anniversary.

With his discerning selections, editor Baumann (editor: Love and Resistance: Out of the Closet into the Stonewall Era, 2019, etc.)—assistant director for collection development for the New York Public Library and coordinator of the library’s LGBT Initiative—provides a street-level view of the Stonewall uprising, which helped launch the LGBTQ rights movement in show more the United States. Through his skillful curation, he offers a corrective for what is too often a sanitized, homogenous, and whitewashed portrayal of academics and professionals about the event sometimes termed “the hairpin drop heard around the world.” By gathering vibrant and varied experiences of diverse contributors, the collection reflects the economic, gender, racial, and ethnic complexity of the LGBTQ community at a time when behaviors such as same-sex dancing were criminalized. Featuring essays, interviews, personal accounts, and news articles, Baumann’s archival project accurately and meticulously captures an era of social unrest; the conversation about institutional discrimination and inequality presented here remains as revolutionary today as it did 50 years ago. The anthology invites us to look closely at the unresolved social dynamics of a population defined by its diversity, confronting sexism, racism, classism, and internalized homophobia alongside a broad view of institutional discrimination, heteronormativity, and sexual repression. Voices of significant leaders sit beside stories from participants behind protest lines, police raids, and street harassment, and the mounting frustration with an oppressive status quo becomes palpable on every page. The first-person narratives collected here effectively spotlight the social inequalities surrounding the LGBTQ community, many of which persist today.

A bold rallying cry that should help in the continuing fight for LGBTQ rights. Read alongside Baumann’s Love and Resistance and Marc Stein’s The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History for a full education on the events before, during, and after Stonewall.

-Kirkus Review show less

I deem much of the argument if it should be called the Stonewall Uprising or Stonewall Riot of rather trivial importance. It does not disregard the fact that it is a revolution. And no revolution suddenly arise out of nowhere; each brews for a long time. Once it culminates it does not stop or waver. For when a minority is continuously harassed, oppressed, berated, and discriminated it only takes a time until a type of retaliation and rebellion thrive. There is a collective demand for show more respect, their rights as human beings and a courage to defend themselves from senseless brutality and nasty micro aggressions inflicted by those who refuse to understand, those who are either strangled by irrational dread or dumbed down by rigid beliefs. So it goes, enough is enough. A movement is fuelled.

The Stonewall Reader is a comprehensive collection of interviews, transcripts, and articles in three parts: the before, during, and after Stonewall. The “Before” focuses more on the varied personal and intimate experiences of LGBT people. It recounts of discovery, acceptance, and the creation if not the search of a community. At an era when consenting adults of the same-sex is punishable by law and psychology considers homosexuality as a mental illness, conversion therapy is advised, spurts of silent revolt happen far and between. Every small group, mostly underground, contribute their own acts of insurgence through magazine-printings and assemblies. Most members don’t disclose personal details, not even their real name, for they live differently outside. There is the constant fear of being found out which could be grounds for unemployment. The “During” tells of the Stonewall riots that spanned from 28 June to 1 July 1969. Selected first hand accounts including those of transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are terrifying and touching albeit there is one account, amidst having importance, from journalist Howard Smith which is tinged with homophobia instead of an impartial air. The resilience and resistance of the LGBT community at such a time is admirable, even empowering. The prior uprisings leading to the Stonewall Riots are also notably significant in their own contributions. The series of protests during the Stonewall Riots has forced people outside the community to listen and see that gay, gender non-comforming, and transgender people exist, have always existed, and will not go away. Visibility is a force. In its last section, the “After”, some look back, nostalgic and grateful. Although the Stonewall Riots had not completely turned the tide over it has inspired and prompted not only the gay liberation, Pride celebrations, but also the continuous effort of the community to work on persisting issues and stop attempts to roll back progress in different means. This book stands alone by itself but I can imagine its impact amplified by the emotional New York Public Library’s exhibit, “Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50“ which ran from 14 Feb to 13 July 2019.

“True, some gays play the same role-games among themselves that straights do. Isn’t every minority group fucked over by the values of the majority culture? But the really important thing about being gay is that you are forced to notice how much sex-role differentiation is pure artifice, is nothing but a game.”

I consider The Stonewall Reader a more or less condensed modern history of the LGBT and is there anything better than a collection weaved together by the members of the community themselves from their own works or in their own words? The result is outstanding and expansive than I expected. And I am very pleased that this does not focus on white people alone but also includes people of colour. Some accounts mildly touches on the gay movement‘s intersection with the civil and feminist movements too. As these appear more of an opinion than a fact, further reading is advised. Of course the flaws within the community, specifically the still present discrimination against transgender people and drag queens, is not dismissed and it calls for action. In the end this book makes my own identity, shall I say, robust and tangible. Reading about those who have lived before me, felt similarly, had the same thoughts, and fought the same afflictions is reassuring. With knowledge of my own people’s history, I know myself better. show less

i picked up this book thinking it would be a little empty--a sales point to capitalize off of the anniversary instead of a well thought out reader--but it is a nice small collection of primary sources and contextualizing work that does emphasize the police brutality/animosity behind the riots and the greater history of policy and policing that built up to Stonewall. the reader covers a lot of the problems within early lgbt orgs (infighting, racism, sexism, transphobia, etc.) and the broader show more conflicts between progressive causes. as a librarian, i love that it pulls from so many books i wish i could give to my patrons but just don't have/never will have in our catalog & a lot of the source material was new for me. those picking up this book will also see that a lot of sentiments about safety and healthcare for transwomen still ring true--our community is still actively policed, violated, & harmed by the government's policies & agencies. no pride in an unjust world. xoxo show less

Ok, yes, I know the concept of a reference book like this is outdated by the internet. But the browsing alone leads to hours of amusement. I mean, if you're a factoid nerd like me. A quick reference for so much, from who won the World Series in 1976 to how to get grass stains out. It might actually be faster than google for some questions. Just sayin'.