A Queer World: The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader

by Martin Duberman (Editor)

An anthology of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies's most provactive LGBT scholarship

This compendious, cutting-edge volume offers a broad array of the most provocative gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender scholarship produced by the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) over the first decade (1986-1996) of its existence at the CUNY Graduate School.

CLAGS has had a profound and legitimizing influence on the establishment of gay and lesbian studies as a discipline. Thousands have attended its events, featuring hundreds of scholars, activists, and cultural workers; many thousands more have lamented how they would have liked to have been there. With this book, they finally, vicariously, can be.

Divided into five parts―on identities as they revolve around gender and sexuality; on the terrains of homosexual history; on mind-body relations; on laws and economics; and on policy issues related to gay youth, AIDS, and aging― A Queer World offers a compelling panorama of gay and lesbian life. Featuring the work, among others, of such figures as Yukiko Hanawa, Will Roscoe, Jewelle L. Gomez, Jonathan Ned Katz, Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy, Jeffrey Escoffier, Janice M. Irvine, Kendall Thomas, Gilbert Herdt, Vivien Ng, Douglas Crimp, Walt Odets, Serena Nanda, Cindy Patton, Michael Moon, William Byne, and Randolph Trumback, A Queer World is distinctive in its focus on the social sciences and issues relating to public policy. Consisting largely of previously unpublished essays, this volume―and its companion volume Queer Reading Lives, Reading Cultures ―is an invaluable addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the study of sexuality.

Genres: Queer, Nonfiction, LGBT, Politics, Sociology, Sexuality, Anthologies

678 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Martin Bauml Duberman is a scholar and playwright. He graduated from Yale in 1952 and earned a Ph.D. in American history from Harvard in 1957. Duberman left his tenured position at Princeton University in 1971 to become Distinguished Professor of History at Lehman College in New York City.

Reviews

[Chris Lugo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a profound admiration for the struggles, observations and realities of my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. I honor their fight for equal rights and as a progressive I think it is essential to understand their fight, which is the most profound current civil rights struggle in America. This book is an excellent reader for anyone seeking to understand more about the complexities and identity of gay and lesbian experience in the current era.

[Easter · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this book has an excellent collection of lectures given at CUNY. The lecturers examine a multitude of subjects that affect gays and lesbians.
However, there are some extremely weak lectures in here. For example, the first one is pointless and seems to have no discernible point. I almost gave up on reading the book in the first place.
It would've helped if several pieces had been culled.

[6655321 · Rating 3 out of 5]

there are some really solid pieces in here; the only problem is *some* issues (DADT, the LeVey hypothesis, Bowers vs. Hardwick) are either no longer issues or the issues are completely reframed; the history section(s) alone are worth picking up a copy for & from a historians viewpoint the book is interesting (although Queer in this case is just a standin for gay & lesbian) with a somewhat limited scope

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've read about half of the readings in here and from what i can tell it's a pretty good anthology for those interested in queer/lesbian and gay studies.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting essays, including many provocative essays about multiple identities.