Call Me Larry: A Creole Man's Triumph over Racism and Homophobia

by Larry Bagneris, Ryan Gomez

360 pages, Hardcover

Published March 11, 2025

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larry Bagneris has lived through critical moments in southern history, and he retells it all in his signature humor. His memoir is about not only fighting racism and homophobia, but also a history of New Orleans and Houston over the past 50+ years, as well as a love of travel. This is physically a beautiful book, interspersed with dozens of photographs and with each chapter punctuated with political buttons. In these times, this book gives me hope.

[Constance Chevalier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, timely, detailed. From childhood to college, his stories show a love of family life, a sense of self and pride in New Orleans and then Houston, New York; traveling to Cuba and the Far East. Larry gets into city politics and gay rights causes, becoming a city politician. His experience with Katrina and the aftermath is extensive. His is a very full life of so many stories to tell.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about the life of this interesting, courageous, clever man, and about the gay rights movement as well. Wonderful, important read.