Gay Power: An American Revolution

by David Eisenbach

The definitive history of how the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s sparked an American revolution that transformed a nation.

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, History, Gay, Queer

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a good book . . . if you're into boring history.

i bought this book at a "revolutionary" book store in pittsburgh. after glancing at it i felt a twinge of guilt. i realized that i really didn't understand or know much about the gay rights movement (even though i'm technically part of it).

In essence, the book hit on essential topics in the history of the movement. however, it was HIGHLY dull and rarely went several pages without an elongated indented quote. in my day, those were used to fill space whenever you had no original idea to put on paper. this was true to form.

another critique: the book stopped dead after the florida orange juice lady even though the book was published in like 2006. much has happened since then.

but, i must admit, there was a lot i didn't know about gay history, which deserved explanation. i now know more about the lambda, the pink triangle, GAA, GLF, PFLAG, "zaps," and how gays crept their way out of the shadows from fear and "criminal" acts to slow legitimate recognition with the help of the APA's "evolving" thought on mental illness.

would i recommend it? not really. i feel i finished the book out of duty rather than pleasure.

[Nick Stumo-Langer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history of the early gay rights movement, rich with detail and humanity, a great read for pre-AIDS LGBTQ rights.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a note that I remember from back when I read this:

The organized gay rights movement in the United States began with the founding of the Mattachine Society in Los Angeles in 1951, the same year Cory's book was first published. The principal founder of the Mattachine Society was Henry Hay, a fervent Communist Party member who convinced fellow gay leftists to form an organization of homosexuals that would combat oppression by generating a group consciousness free of negative attitudes toward homosexuality. Hay named his new organization after a traditional European folk dance called Les Mattachines, which was performed in medieval France by groups of unmarried clerics who wore masks while they danced, sang, and satirized the rich and powerful. Hay hoped his modern group would also speak the truth even if its members had to live in disguise.

The Communist Party's strategies and ideology had a great impact on the Mattachinc in its formative years. The structure of the early Mattachine even resembled the cell structure of the Communist Party so that the identity of members would be less likely to be compromised. Because the Mattachine founders believed social change required action by masses of activists, they looked to mobilize a large gay constituency that was capable of militancy if necessary. The first step they took to create a mass gay rights movement was to make homosexuals aware of themselves as a "class." Unless homosexuals began to view themselves as proud members of a class, rather than as sinners or "deviates," they would not connect themselves with a gay rights movement. According to a 1951 mission statement, the goal of the Mattachine Society was to create a "new pride-pride in belonging, a pride in participating in the cultural growth and social achievements of . . . the homosexual minority." To generate such homosexual pride, the Mattachine set up semipublic discussion groups that affirmed the self-worth of participants."

David Eisenbach. Gay Power: An American Revolution (Kindle Locations 300-313). Kindle Edition.

TL;DR - The gay rights movement in the US was largely started by communists.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Gay Power" by David Eisenbach was definitely a great book. "Gay Power" is a great book if you like to read about history of the LGBT community and of the struggles that the community had to overcome. The book went through some very important events in the LGBT community, which would include some events such as Stonewall and The Gay rights movement. I really enjoyed many of the aspects of this book and would definitely recommend to other people. It was assigned to me for one of my classes in college and it was a great book. It was a book that once you picked it up it was hard to put it back down!

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading the lgbt history books which explore the beginnings of the movement, mostly in hope of finding something relatively comprehensive while noticing the obvious: exclusion. True to form this book focuses solely on the contributions of white gay men in the 60s and 70s, and though interesting at times, the consistent reaction is disappointing.

[sedge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Any book that starts with the Queer Eye men throwing out the first pitch at a major-league ball game, using the moment as an exemplar of queer progress, isn't for me. But I kept trying to read on; it just got worse. This is the worst possible variety of writing history through the rearview mirror, imposing contemporary assimilationist politics on a revolutionary past.

[Kiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fascinating tale of the gay rights struggle of the late 60s and early 70s. This title provided fantastic and rarely available information concerning the gay student organizations at Colombia University. Yet, readers should know that the sound majority of the book concerns NYC while other cities are rarely mentioned.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It looks at the tactical paths utilized by the mainstream 'gay movement. Considering the current climate of assimilation this book offers valuable insight to resistance and the costs of inclusion/exclusion.