Looking At Gay And Lesbian Life

Discusses gender roles, human sexuality, prejudice, discrimination, lesbian and gay politics, AIDS, gay culture, and the homosexual in literature

Gay life has become increasingly open in the last decade. In Beyond the Closet , Steven Seidman, a well-known author and leading scholar in sexuality, is the first to chronicle this lifestyle change and to look at the lives of contemporary gays and lesbians to see how their "out" status has changed. This compelling, well-written, and smart account is an important step forward for the gay and lesbian community.

A journalistic account of gay and lesbian life in the diverse gay communities of Thailand, Germany, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and other locales, sheds light on the cultural, political, and social factors influencing gay life.

Because homoerotic relations can be found in so many cultures, Gilbert Herdt argues that we should think of these relations as part of the human condition. This new cross-cultural study of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals around the world, Same Sex, Different Cultures provides a unique perspective on maturing and living within societies, both historical and contemporary, that not only acknowledge but also incorporate same-gender desires and relations.Examining what it means to organize ?sex? in a society that lacks a category for ?sex,? or to love someone of the same gender when society does not have a ?homosexual? or ?gay/lesbian? role, Herdt provides provocative new insights in our understanding of gay and lesbians lives. Accurate in both its scientific conceptions and wealth of cultural and historical material, examples range from the ancient Greeks and feudal China and Japan to the developing countries of Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, and Thailand, from a New Guinea society to contemporary U.S. culture, including Native Americans. For all of these peoples, homoerotic relations emerge as part of culture?and not separate from history or society.In many of these groups, loving or engaging in sexual relations is found to be the very basis of the local cultural theory of ?human nature? and the mythological basis for the cosmos and the creation of society. The mistake of modern Western culture, Gilbert contends, is to continue the legalization of prejudice against lesbians and gays.In this light, the book addresses the issue of ?universal? versus particular practices and reveals positive role models that embrace all aspects of human sexuality. Finally, it offers knowledge of the existence of persons who have loved and have been intimate sexually and romantically with the same gender in other lands through divergent cultural practices and social roles.The most important lesson to learn from this cross-cultural and historical study of homosexuality is that there is room for many at the table of humankind.

Out in All Directions takes the mystery out of gay and lesbian history, lifts the lid off pink politics and paints the town lavender with every aspect of gay life, culture and community.

"Out Our Way is a treasury of oral history-in-the-making. It was born of the author's 27,000 kilometre journey through every province and territory of Canada, and more than three hundred intimate, face-to-face conversations with lesbians and gay men, aged fifteen to eighty-one, including people of the First Nations, people living with HIV and AIDS, individuals, couples, people living in communes, and a rainbow of self-defined families. With wit and insight Riordon relates the richly varied experience of real people who are making their way, and their mark, in rural communities they've chosen. Enormously entertaining, Out Our Way will appeal to readers of all orientations."--Page 4 of cover.

City of Friends offers a practical, intelligent, and well-informed overview of what it means to be gay or lesbian. The authors seek to help gay men and women, as well as their families and friends, to better understand the institutions and communities that make up the most culturally and ethnically diverse minority in America today.Beginning with basic concepts, LeVay and Nonas define the words "homosexual," "gay," "lesbian," and "bisexual" and discuss the various patterns of homosexuality in different cultures around the world. They relate the history of the gay and lesbian community in the United States, and its struggle for equal rights and social acceptance, before tackling the question -- still highly controversial -- of what determines an individual's sexual orientation.City of Friends describes the great diversity within the gay and lesbian community: Life in the "gay ghetto." Old lesbians in rural hideaways. Gay resorts. A "town without men." Gay and lesbian Latinos, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Native Americans -- what it means to be a minority within a minority. Lesbian and gay youth, the elderly, the deaf. Bisexuals and transsexuals. Academics, drag queens, technoqueers, publishers, softball players -- all make their appearance in these pages.LeVay and Nonas continue with a discussion of health issues (especially of the AIDS epidemic and the community's response to it), the law, and gay and lesbian politics. They describe the cultural achievements of lesbians and gay men -- their art, literature, theater, music, and dance. Finally they take a look at the spiritual life of gays and lesbians, both within and outside of organized religion.

The untold history of lesbian life from those who have lived it! Lives of Lesbian Elders: Looking Back, Looking Forward illuminates the hopes, fears, issues, and concerns of gay women as they grow older. Based on interviews with 62 lesbians ranging in age from 55 to 95, this very special book provides a historical account of the shared experiences of the lesbian community that is so often invisible or ignored in contemporary society. The book gives voice to their thoughts and feelings on a wide range of issues, including coming out, identity and the meaning of life, the role of family and personal relationships, work and retirement, adversity, and individual sources of strength and resilience. Cast off and overlooked at best or victims of scorn and prejudice at worst, lesbians in the twentieth century lived dual lives, their full voices unheard—until now. Lives of Lesbian Elders chronicles the life choices they made and their reasons for making them, set against the contexts of culture, politics, and the social mores of the eras in which they lived. Their stories of courage, resilience, resourcefulness, pride, and independence help restore lesbian history that has been forgotten, distorted, or disregarded and provide the information necessary to meet the future needs of aging lesbians. Lives of Lesbian Elders gives aging lesbians a chance to discuss their thoughts on a variety of topics, including: Coming out “You didn’t talk about it . . . Until two years ago, I never even referred to a lesbian or would I allow the word to pass my lips” “I used to sneak into libraries and read about homosexuality and back in that era, it was not classy . . . it was classified as a disorder of some type” Identity “The only difference between me and anybody else is that I just happen to be sleeping with a woman” “I think I grew up not really knowing who I was and, I think, probably fighting all my life trying to find out who I was” Family “I feel very connected with the lesbian community here . . . I guess I would call that family” “Many years ago, my sister said: ’I think when they’re ready, you need to explain to (the nieces) what a lesbian is, because I want them to hear the correct story . . . I want them to hear what it really is and not all these stupid rumors that go around’” Work “I was going to become a youth minister at one point and it dawned on me in high school that there was no way the church was going to let me work with kids” “I didn’t really finish my career . . . I still have dreams about the military and about not finishing . . . It was my choice, but it wasn’t really my choice” Aging and the Future “I think financing, of course, is a real big problem for lesbian women” “I have a concern that if anything should happen to my partner—in growing older—of being isolated from the gay community” . . . and much more! Lives of Lesbian Elders: Looking Back, Looking Forward also includes appendices that present demographic data on the women who were interviewed for the book, information on historical timelines, and suggested readings on lesbian history. The book is an invaluable addition to the growing collective history of lesbians in the United States.

The National Lesbian and Gay Survey is a mass observation project set up in 1985 to record the experience of lesbians and gay men. Since that time, lesbian and gay volunteers have provided accounts on a wide range of issues pertinent to lesbian and gay life. What a Lesbian Looks Like draws on this material to provide an anthology of personal writings from lesbians nationwide. The volunteers come from all walks of life, from the unemployed to holders of high powered jobs, and represent all age groups. A ll aspects of lesbian experience are covered, including first sexual encounters, long term relationships, the difficulties of coming out and Clause 28. This book should be of interest to undergraduates, postgraduates and academics in the fields of women's studies, gender studies and cultural studies.