Gay Voices from East Germany

by Jürgen Lemke

"These interviews are wonderful. Extremely interesting and informative about gay life in East Germany." —John C. Fouts "A fascinating book. As far as I know, it is the first time that working class gays have given us an insight into their lives.... A singular contribution." —George L. Mosse "Lemke's interviews with 14 gay men, mainly working class, not only encompass a range of gay lifestyles... but reflect almost a century of German history.... Ultimately, love and a steady partnership are upheld as the ideal." —Publishers Weekly "These narratives provide helpful insight into daily life in the GDR—a state that highly valued conformity—as lived by a minority rarely acknowledged." —Library Journal "... vividly portray the men's trials, tragedies, and triumphs... these memoirs are engagingly provocative.... will serve as a treasure house for future historians, sociologists, and other researchers." —Lambda Book Report "Not just gay men, but anyone with a little humanity will find it rewarding to spend a few hours listening to these men." —Hungry Mind Review "... a rare, intensive glimpse into another community and another culture." —A Different Light Review "The 14 compelling interviews... chronicle gay male experience prior to the dramatic events of the last two years." —On the Issues Jürgen Lemke's collection of interviews with East German homosexual men caused a sensation in the East, where it was hailed as "a milestone in the history of homosexual men in the GDR." The book presents sustained portraits of fourteen men from different generations and classes, "in the closet" and out. Together they provide a penetrating view into the lives of gay men in Germany from the time of Hitler until the final year of the separate socialist state.

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 1991

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coincidentally, I finished this on the anniversary of the Berlin wall’s destruction (and the release of the only gay GDR film, Coming Out)! There seems to be a dearth of published first-hand accounts of queer life in the GDR (at least in English), especially from those who never brushed up against the law, so this collection is particularly interesting and useful. The intro + translators’ notes also offer a peek into the formulation of gay male identity in the US at the time of publication - there’s an intriguing effort to identify common gay male experiences that exist across cultures.