Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising that Changed America

by Martin Duberman

The definitive account of the Stonewall Riots, the first gay rights march, and the LGBTQ activists at the center of the movement.



"Martin Duberman is a national treasure."--Masha Gessen, The New Yorker

On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village, was raided by police. But instead of responding with the typical compliance the NYPD expected, patrons and a growing crowd decided to fight back.

In Stonewall, first published in 1993, renowned historian and activist Martin Duberman tells the story of this pivotal moment in history. With riveting narrative skill, he re-creates those revolutionary, sweltering nights in vivid detail through the lives of six people who were drawn into the struggle for LGBTQ rights.

Fifty years after the riots, Stonewall remains a rare work that evokes with a human touch an event in history that still profoundly affects life today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, LGBT, Queer, Politics, Gay, Social Justice

399 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

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

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“After the second night of rioting, it had become clear to many that a major upheaval, a kind of seismic shift, was at hand.”

I’d been wanting to brush up on the history of Stonewall (June 27, 1969) because I’d forgotten most of what I learned in school. In 1999, on the 30th anniversary of Stonewall, it had been my first time in New York City. I’d met up with an ex-boyfriend, who could be described as moderate to conservative. We were just wandering around the city with no plans when we stumbled on the gay pride parade AT THE INTERSECTION OF STONEWALL AND CHRISTOPHER STREET (which is where the riots took place). I knew the significance, at least part, but even conservative Scott had a great time at the parade.

So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I was thrilled. I got more than I bargained for. Part of this felt very academic and like I was back in grad school, but most of it was just very readable history that focuses on six different gay and lesbian activists including a black woman, three white men, a Latino transvestite, and a Jewish woman.

What I remembered most clearly from whatever gender studies class I took when I learned about Stonewall was that male police officers would shove their hands down women’s pants to be sure she was wearing “female appropriate” underwear. If a person with pudenda that marked them as having one sex on their birth certificate wasn’t wearing at least three pieces of “gender appropriate” clothing AS DEEMED BY NEW YORK LAW, he or she could be arrested. Can you imagine what a waste of a cops’ time to go around harassing gay people for being gay?

I didn’t realize that Stonewall was a dive bar run by mafia. Because in the sixties gay folks had no rights and could indeed be arrested, the mafia saw a way to make money and gay folks didn’t have alternatives because someone who was openly gay could be denied a loan. It’s still legal to discriminate against the LGBTQ community in 31 states. (!) So marriage is legal, but in many states you can be fired simply for your sexual orientation or that you identify differently than what your birth certificate says. Right now in Texas they are trying to pass legislation to allow it to be OK to deny homosexuals health care. (!)

I did know that lots of black women were slow to join to identify as feminist, partially because white feminists were concerned with middle class white women issues and weren’t immediately on board with the idea that feminism has to deal with race and class as well as gender. The Black Panthers were very male dominated, as were many of the emerging groups trying to get equal rights for the LGBTQ community. Men were used to dominating the discussion and talked over women who the males thought should be fetching coffee with their mouths firmly closed.

In that period of history, there was considerable disagreement among the gay community about whether or not it was important to look “respectable”—suits and ties for men and dresses for women—and what “queens’” place was in the revolution.

There had already been much activism before the nights of the Stonewall riots, which lasted basically two days and resulted in a fair amount of destruction of property and injured cops and severely injured (beaten up) activists. Obviously, in 1969, the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Second wave feminism. MLK had been shot the year before. And, of course, what unified just about everyone on the left, the Vietnam war.

If you’re interested in history as it pertains to gender and civil rights, this is very well done. It was originally published in 1994 and updated to mark the 50th anniversary of the riots.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

[✨ jami ✨]

Following six significant figures in the gay rights movement, Craig Rodwell, Yvonne Flowers, Karla Jay, Forest Gunnison, Sylvia Rivera, and Jim Fouratt, Stonewall follows the activities of the gay rights movement leading up to and following Stonewall. It contextualises the event within the wider activism of the 60s, and examines why and how this moment became so immortalised in history.

I found this really interesting and enjoyable. It's well researched but not overly scholarly, so it's very easy to follow. I really liked how this started well before Stonewall, and examined the activism that had been occurring before the event. It really delves into the cultural and social atmosphere and the wider contexts definitely ended up being my favourite part of this book.

Although some parts did drag, and I found the switching of perspectives confusing at some points, overall it was very engaging and I'm glad I've finally read this

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duberman is a master at weaving together stories of individual lives to write history. He chose six disparate individuals - four men and two women - to tell the story of the development of the Gay Rights Movement. Stonewall refers to the riots that occurred from June 27-July 2, 1969 in and around the Stonewall bar in Greenwich Village. Duberman's history reveals that despite the fact that Stonewall is known as the event that started the modern Gay Rights movement, this is a great over simplification of the actual facts.

The six featured individuals in the book include Foster Gunnison who led a conservative life, and was a proponent of the strategy that gay men and lesbians should conform in dress and behavior and work for acceptance. Karla Jay was a radical feminist who had to hide her sexual orientation in some of the women's groups she worked within. Yvonne Flowers was an African American woman who faced racism and sexism in most of the gay groups she tried to work with. Craig Rodwell was raised in a Christian Scientist residential school and founded the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore in the Village, while still holding on to his Christian Science beliefs. Jim Fouratt was part of the radical left. One of the most compelling individuals was Sylvia Rivera (Ray). Sylvia is identified as a drag queen in the book and a transvestite prostitute. But her sexual identity might now be considered transgender. She considered surgery, but only briefly. She'd been on the streets from the age of 11, and wanted to help other street kids like her.

The most fascinating part of the book were the descriptions of the internal political struggles over tactics. There were endless arguments over whether the struggles of gay men and lesbians should join in with other major efforts such as the Black Panthers and the anti-war movement against the war in Vietnam. At that time, there was little mention of individuals who identified as bisexual. Although surgery was a very expensive option for individuals who didn't identify with the gender they were born, in the late 60's there was little or no awareness of gender identity. The book was written in 1993, and even then, the label applied to Sylvia was transvestite. Transexual is used in footnotes, a reminder that language is constantly evolving.

In 1993, all the individuals whose stories make up this history were still alive. The Oscar Wilde Bookstore closed in 2009 citing competition from online booksellers. Craig Rodwell the proprietor died of cancer in 1993 (he was 53), though Duberman describes him as still the proprietor in the book published in 1993. Jim Fouratt is 71 and still an activist. Karla Jay is professor emeritus at Pace University. Foster Gunnison passed away in 1994 (1925-1994). I found a reference to the "late Yvonne Flowers" :
http://www.crunkfeministcollective.co...
Sylvia Rivera passed away at the age of 50 of liver cancer:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyr...
Interestingly, Rivera, Fouratt, Jay and Rodman are all in Wikipedia. Gunnison and Flowers were harder to find. In the case of Yvonne Flowers it seems that Black Lesbian Feminism is still a very marginalized identity and history.

[Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

for the age of this book i’m Very Impressed at how well-rounded it is, like a snapshot of stonewall and a variety of the folks involved and the organizing that happened directly before and after. definitely some outdated language, definitely drags at times, but overall a great resource and really important history.

[Carrie Kellenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good account of the modern gay rights movement and gay life in America during the 60s and early 70s.

Duberman includes biographies for six influential leaders for gay, lesbian and trans leaders in the community: Craig Rodwell, Yvonne Flowers, Karla Jay, Forest Gunnison, Sylvia Rivera, and Jim Fouratt.

This book is meticulously researched, as are all of Duberman's books. He holds a Ph.D in American history from Harvard and has written over 30 books. This book draws on archival research of the homophile movement in the 50s and 60s before moving to an overview of the gay organizations that were created after the Stonewall Rebellion. Throughout his book, he writes about his subjects and their lives, while highlighting details from the Stonewall Riot and details about everyday life for LGBT people at the time.

The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village, was raided at 1am on June 28, 1969. The raids happened frequently, but on this day, patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. The riot lasted for five days and it changed the face of lesbian and gay life in America forever. Although Stonewall is thought to be the event that started the modern Gay Rights movement, this book reveals that there was far more going on and that it was not the beginning of the modern Gay Rights movement in America.

I enjoyed the stories for each individual although I found the manner in which Duberman laid his book out for each person was hard to follow. He switches perspectives too often and it is confusing for the first half of the book. I also felt that there was a slight bias towards gay males over the other individuals in this book.

The descriptions of the arguments over whether the LGBT movement should join other major civil rights movements like the Black Panthers also made for an interesting read.

The name of this book is a little misleading, by the way. 90% of this book is focused on LGBT movements at the time with only 10% dedicated to the actual riot. That said, an informative read!

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy of Martin Duberman’s Stonewall has sat on my bookshelf unread for almost twenty years. What prompted me to finally read it is two-fold: I realized that I knew almost nothing about the Stonewall Riots, and as a gay man, I should know; my next novel will end with this very important piece of gay history, so I needed to read this book as research. I was not disappointed and wish I’d read it years ago. Duberman’s book is an exhaustive history of that era of burgeoning gay rights. He cloaks his history in the stories of six diverse people who were right there in the midst of it all. Each of them is a person to whom we can relate, for though they are very real people, they also represent distinct types that people the gay community. There is the wealthy older man who wants everyone to remain “civilized” and demand their rights, yet not rock the boat. There is a young actor with his delicate good looks and flowing blond hair. There is the black woman, fighting for lesbian rights in the midst of the struggle for racial equality as well and having a hard time feeling like she fits in. There is the young scholarly athletic woman who resents being expected to declare herself one of the prescribed lesbian categories of the time—butch or femme. There is the founder of the Oscar Wilde Bookshop who seeks to form an organization that will fight for gays to be anything they wish to be, but most of all, out and proud. And there is the street prostitute, transvestite, drag queen who starts her life on the streets at the tender age of eleven and never looks back. The six of them cross paths many times in this journey to gay equality. Duberman, in using the very personal stories of these six, turns his story from a dry history to an intimate biography of an important time in history—not just Gay History, but American History as well. For when the drag queens at the Stonewall Inn finally fought back and refused to be denigrated by the corrupt and brutal police that early morning after Judy Garland’s burial the previous afternoon, they changed all our lives, gay and straight.

[Cari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less a portrait of the Stonewall riots and more a history of the blooming gay rights movement of the sixties, Stonewall is solid in its presentation of the cultural atmosphere and the stories of six individuals deeply involved in activist activity. The events of Stonewall itself are given their own section in the book, although the conflicts and passions that set the stage are delved into and analyzed much more thoroughly, which is actually the most intriguing part of the read. The surrounding history is what draws in the reader, although it does drag occasionally and it's a push to keep going. The effort is worth it although the ending seems rushed and everything is wrapped up a little too neatly, considering the ongoing struggle and devastating incidents that still plague the gay/lesbian community today, especially among the younger generations.

Note: the way Duberman switches perspectives between the six is difficult to follow in the beginning and I found it almost impossible to remember the youthful histories of each, but that didn't detract from the rest of the book. As he gets more into the flow of his narrative, the hop between points of view gets much easier to follow (and remember).

Stonewall is written with a tight focus and what feels like a genuine passion for the subject matter, so read it for the history, read it for the perspective, and read it to gain a broader understanding, no matter your orientation.

[Blue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for a course I took.

While I do believe Stonewall is one of the most important events in LGBTQ+ history, I believe there are much better books ont eh subject than this one.

There is very little on Stonewall itself, it mostly discusses the lives of the "characters" before the events, and what they did after the events of that night.

And only one of the "characters" was even there at Stonewall that night and two of them joined in later, the other 3 were not at the event or the days that followed, so I'm not sure why they were included in the book.

It was pretty obvious in reading this that Duberman cared for two of the "characters" a lot more than he did the other 4, creating a bias towards white gay males over everyone else, and that is NOT what Stonewall was about.

An okay book but not a great one.

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Michelle Visage would say “Do you like gay shit? Then read this book!” It’s such an amazing read, I’m so glad my local book store had it on a table at the front or I’d probably never have read it and I’d have been missing out. It provides an in depth look at queer history and Stonewall in particular and I really loved learning more about the people who walked so I could run. Some parts are not so pretty but I did still enjoy reading them because it’s necessary to know the good and the bad of queer history. You can’t erase one without the other being erased as well and that’s just a fact. I do wish there had been a bit more focus on the days leading up to the events and the riots themselves, although I do realize they focused on other aspects as those are already represented many times in other books and documentaries. Despite that I absolutely loved learning more about the women and men that tore down walls so I could be free to be gay and safe and proud. I highly recommend this book whether you’re straight or gay as it provides a lot of necessary history of gay culture and those before who came before that paved the way for us.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's any one thing that has the potential to evoke instant violence from individuals, it's the idea of homosexuality. Today, nothing seems to polarize so many people. Anyone growing up has heard "fag" as a basic insult in the grammer of teenagers and beyond, and I really suspect there's a lot of people who are in the closet in some way that know that if they came out at all of even being remotely attracted to members of the same sex (however you want to define that), then they would become an instant target for former friends and family. It's even worse in the countryside than in the cities, too. So I picked up Stonewall to brush up on some Queer history, especially since the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York are often cited as being a turning point in the acceptance of anything but straight as an arrow by mainstream society at all.

Stonewall details the lives of seven different individuals from their childhoods, to the day they came out of the closet, to their lives afterward and up until the stonewall riots, and the aftermath. The six people are Yvonne (Maua) Flowers, Jim Fouratt, Foster Gunnison Jr, Karla Jay, Silvia Rae Rivera, and Craig Rodwell. Some like Jim Fouratt were previously involved in radical left-wing groups like the Yippies before Stonewall brought gay issues as an issue to be seriously considered. Yvonne Flowers felt out of place wherever she went, being a black lesbian and therefore subject to homophobia and sexism in much of the black community and racism in much of the white lesbian community. Foster Gunnison Jr was the son of an industrialist, and became extremely involved in the moderate Mattachine Society, which sought to seek an understanding with straight society. Karla Jay was a student who became involved with left-wing activism but quickly was uncomfortable about male domination of the movement. Silva Rae Rivera defiantly strikes the reader as one of the most interesting, as she lives on the streets as a queen, and transvestite. Finally, Craig Rodwell was a young member of the Mattachine Society and tried to turn it more radical and relevant by recruiting young members into it to infuse it with energy, and later opened the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore.

Without going to far, the Stonewall Riots started when the police raided the notoriously seedy, and Mafia-run, Stonewall Bar. Raids were common place and often were proceeded with warnings, bribes, and such, but this time after the police roughed up a few people, the crowd fought back. It escalated into a full scale attack on the police and lots of pent up rage was unleashed. The next day, as news of gays fighting back spread quickly, people took to the street and made a statement that they would no longer be silent second-class citizens. After this, the Gay Liberation Front was founded to push for confrontation and demand, not request, full equality with straight society. The effects on the characters reminded me of the effect that the Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization had on me when I was a teenager. It all the sudden became alright to be out in the open.

The book itself can be a little confusing at points as Dr. Duberman switches between the individuals stories quickly and suddenly, but each story is indeed pretty interesting. Even today as there seems to be an enormous backlack by the Christian Right to attack the rights of people to be attracted to anyone, or to BE anyone, that they feel like, and to have access to all of the same health, jobs, and life that any straight person would, it really was the beginning of hope back in an age of closets and not being able to even talk. This was a beginning of change, before even the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic. Stonewall should be read by anyone who believes in the right of anyone to struggle for a better life for themselves and those they care about.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much broader and deeper than one riot, which is why it’s so important to know history. The most disheartening part is how much momentum was lost because the antiwar, Black, feminist, gay and lesbian movements were intent on excluding each other. How much more progress could have been made?

Also, this, by way of history repeating:

“For the better part of a week, the police, with little or no provocation, literally assaulted antiwar demonstrators and yippies alike, spilling so much blood, and bashing onlookers, reporters, and “freaks” so indiscriminately, that TV images of their rampaging brutality produced national revulsion.”

That’s the Chicago Democratic Convention, 1968.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel bad not giving a book about the defining mythic and historic moment of 20th century gay American history five stars, but integrity is important. As a queer man Stonewall is something that I cannot ignore. Even though I didn't grow up during a time when being gay could get you institutionalized, I did grow up in a town and social environment where being gay just wasn't good. It was better to be closeted and be a good christian boy who only centered your desire on the opposite sex. I won't insult the people who lived during this period by saying I completely understand their struggle, but the closet is something that is timeless and known to every generation of gay people. I know Stonewall by its reputation, by it's significance, by its historic precedence, and by the mythic status it holds in the queer community.

Because of all this, I wanted this book to be more. Martin Duberman has written a beautiful oral history about a few of the principle characters that participated in the Stonewall Riots, but his work I not entirely centered on the actual riots themselves. Instead this book is the history of a handful of individuals who were present or were impacted by the events of Stonewall. And while this isn't a bad method or approach, by the nature of the title of the book I was expecting the book to be solely centered on the riots themselves. Stonewall is a tipping point in the minds of many people, and so the problem with this book is that I was expected more analysis and historical understanding about the event rather than the people who were changed by it.

There's also a profound lack of information about Marsha P. Johnson, the trans woman of color who supposedly threw the first brick, but that's it's own review.

This is an incredible book, and a vital read for anyone interested in the queer political politics, and Duberman to his credit does write many passages where he explores the realities of being gay in America before Stonewall. This book is brilliantly written, demonstrates a careful attention to research, and is a loving testament to the men and women who began a protest that allows queer people like me to be out and open without fear. Stonewall is a beautiful book and well worth the reader's time.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend gave me this book a few years ago, and I was in no hurry to read it, as the movie that is based on the book was notorious for downplaying the role of people of color. The movie, from what I could see in the trailer (and from what friends and reviews said as well), insists that the main character, a fictional white cis guy, be the catalyst for change, which isn't supported by any story of Stonewall that I've heard. That being said, I'm very glad I read it.

Stonewall doesn't actually occupy itself so much with the event as with the growing pains of the gay rights movement. Duberman does a great job of emphasizing how it's hard to nail down a linear, easy-to-understand narrative of Stonewall, as people's testimonies vary so widely; what matters, the reader is led to understood, is that ~something~ changed, or clicked, for so many people after June 28, 1969.

The book follows six people from childhood to Stonewall, an approach that I appreciated, even if the men were emphasized over the women. Duberman, a white gay guy, is thoughtful in how the gay rights movement often excluded people of color and lesbians and didn't really have a great appreciation for intersectionality. I liked this attention to often-overlooked narratives, especially since this book was published in 1994. A quote that shows Duberman's critical eye: "Many men in GLF [Gay Liberation Front] supported the women's movement, and some of them gave it a good deal more than lip service. Still, they had been socialized as men and despite good intentions and vigorous efforts at self-examination in consciousness-raising groups, many proved unable to rid themselves of the assumption that their male insights were superior, that their male leadership essential, their male issues paramount."

Something that really bothered me at the beginning of the book was Duberman's flippant treatment of childhood sexual abuse. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse myself, I was disturbed to read sentences like, "The neighbors had begun to tease her [Sylvia Rivera's mother] about Ray's effeminacy, predicting he would soon be a full-fledged maricón. What they didn't know was that he had already, at age seven, had sex with his fourteen-year-old cousin--and by age ten was having sex regularly with a married man down the block." I would never casually characterize such situations as consensual.

This book came at the right time for me and I actually felt inspired to ~do~ something after I read it. And in its examination of the inner discord of the homophile and gay rights movements, I found comfort that a group of loud, shouty, obnoxiously self-righteous (I say that with respect) people who disagreed with each other 50% of the time could get their shit together and effect change. I also felt a renewed respect for the thousands of nameless people that were behind the movement and worked tirelessly to make themselves and their community feel heard. It reminded me of how I felt when I read And the Band Played On. So many people dedicated so much of their time, money, and effort, often at great personal cost, simply because they knew what they were doing was right.

Near the end, I felt that Duberman lost a lot of his steam. The book ends a bit quickly, lacking the thoughtful analysis that characterizes previous chapters.

All in all, a great book and definitely well worth the read, especially if you're feeling down about the bickering going on in the left.

[Alvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book follows six diverse lives up to and through the Stonewall riots and the first Gay Freedom Day March. (Only later did the marches turn into "Pride" marches, a shift that bespeaks an egregious lack of taste and decorum, IMHO.) The descriptions of the subjects pre-Stonewall lives were reasonably interesting (except a few big chunks about organizing and infighting in the Homophile Movement that bored me to tears), but the best part was the riot itself. Oh, what I'd give to have seen the queens doing a campy can-can dance while giving Lilly Law a well-deserved comeuppance!

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

«It's time to start living the life you've imagined.»

Por el título, imaginé que se centraría únicamente en los disturbios de Stonewall, pero el autor nos muestra la vida al completo de seis personas que vivieron aquella noche, y aunque no sea algo que se me hizo aburrido de leer, sí es verdad que esperaba que la parte de los disturbios fuera más extensa o mejor explicada. Por otra parte, hubo cosas que no me gustaron mucho: como he leído en otras reseñas, el autor a veces se deja llevar por esas informaciones "falsas" (las pongo entre comillas porque yo tampoco he investigado mucho sobre el tema) que se cuentan y no da una visión muy correcta o cierta de muchos de los detalles de las vidas de estas personas. Aún así, muestra a la perfección la realidad de la época (cada vez más dura con las personas de este colectivo) y cómo todo ello empujó a que muchos se rebelasen primero ahí y luego en el resto del país y del mundo.

Los disturbios de Stonewall siempre serán para mí una de las mayores muestras de valentía de la historia, porque fue ese momento en el que todas esas personas 'no heteros' no se acobardaron como habían hecho hasta la fecha, sino que se unieron para luchar por quienes son, alzaron la voz después de haber pasado toda la vida en silencio,... y yo solo puedo pensar en eso con lágrimas en los ojos: ELLOS lo cambiaron todo. Su valentía, su fuerza, inspiró al mundo entero, y creo que es algo que nos sigue inspirando a todos. No tuvieron miedo a lo que pudiera pasar y demostraron que, aunque se les consideraba criminales o enfermos, juntos eran más fuertes de lo que el mundo creía.
De esta forma, Stonewall quedará en la memoria de todos como el momento y el lugar en que alguien gritó "basta", el momento en el que miles de personas se negaron a volver a agachar la cabeza por, simplemente, tratar de ser ellos mismos. Esta noche de junio del 69 no será recordada como uno de los muchos actos de violencia u opresión por parte de la policía hacia este colectivo, sino como un verdadero acto de resistencia, valentía y liberación que marcó un antes y después en la lucha por los derechos LGBT de todo el mundo.

«This is the strange way of the world, that people who simply want to love are instead forced to become warriors.»

[Debbie Notkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was updated in 1993, which means the update is a quarter of a century ago. Nonetheless, it stands as an excellent overview of the world of American (mostly urban) gay people just before, during, and after the Stonewall uprising. Duberman focuses on six specific individuals who took activist roles during that period, including three white men (Foster Gunnison, a rather stodgy, conservative "be respectable and win them over" character; Craig Rodwell, fairly far along the fire-breathing radical axis; and Jim Fouratt, sometimes a radical and sometimes a peacemaker), along with Yvonne Flowers (a black woman sometimes left out of both black issues and women's issues), Karla Jay (a lesbian activist) and Ray Sylvia Rivera, one of the drag queens at the heart of the Stonewall uprising.

The author traces each of them from childhood through young adulthood and into and out of politics (all were still alive in 1993 when the book was updated). That was never my world, and I was 18 when Stonewall happened, but from what I know he does a very good job of humanizing all six of them, and being fair to their different perspectives, desires, and approaches. He also uses their stories to build a wider history of the development of gay activism in that period. I enjoyed it; I learned a lot; and I couldn't stop wondering what all of them would say if they knew gay marriage would be nationally legalized within less than 50 years of what they did.

[Barbara Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read [the majority of] this for a very long research paper I’m writing in my history class about what lead up to the Stonewall riots. It is a very well researched and vivid read on the lives of the six people it covers, though I think it’s better for if you want to learn more on the subject of pre-Stonewall era LGBTQ activism than the riots themselves.

When I needed insight into the homophile movement and the political workings of Mattachine and the vibe of NYC in the 1960s? Ding ding ding! When I needed insight into the riots themselves? Not so much since most of the six people Duberman writes about weren’t there. Very great read, very easy-to-follow narrative structure, just not 100% what it’s advertised as.

Fantastic for what I needed for that research paper though! Shoutout Prof. Noyalas for letting me sit atop my soapbox.

[Angelica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to say this about a book of such an important era but oh my god. I couldn't get through this without wanting to rip my hair out. The organization of the different narratives was messy and incoherent, and the syntax was awful and required constant rereads. I was fighting for my LIFE. I first bought this book in the summer prior to 8th grade but never quite finished it and I wasn't sure why, so I picked it back up almost 4 years later. Well I sure damn know why now. 345 unengaging pages of clunky prose. One star to honor the stories being told but too bad the story telling was actual dog bro

[Shannon MacArthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff! Took me a while bc of going back and fourth with school and other books. But was a good starting point for learning abt the gay liberation movement. Also used some stuff I learned from this to write a paper last semester.

[David Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very informative and encompassing read on stonewall, providing context on the early homophile movement and the riots’ lasting impact on gay liberation in the US. Despite the national focus, it never loses its distinctly personal tone! 🏳️‍🌈

[Lucy]

Phenomenal nonfiction. Kind of bummed that the lesbians he picked had way less space in the narrative than the gay men.

[Salla K · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is a bit dull at times but overall a very intriguing micro historical outlook to six central LGBT+ figures and the organisations that were active during the 60s especially. Wish one could read this thinking how far we have come from these times but looking at current America.... uhhhh

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the title might suggest this book is about the June 1969 riot that kicked the LGBT movement into a much higher gear, it's actually a much broader and deeper study of gay life in the 1960s. Building his story around six semi-representative individuals--he's careful to underline that they're evocative rather than inclusive--Duberman traces the complicated relationships between different parts of the "homophile" movement of the early 60s--the Matachine societies play key role. There was a major division between those who felt that gays would be pro-American and inconspicuous while seeking better treatment under the law and those who saw homophobia as a symptom of a deeper social illness requiring a thorough reworking of institutions. Similarly, some accepted the notion of homosexuality as an "abnormal" condition while, increasingly as the decade went on, others rejected any sort of external definition. More tensions arose between lesbians and male gays, between the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Action Alliance, between the west coast (where several actions preceded Stonewall, a fact often overlooked in histories of the sixties) and the east coastothers involved queens and hustlers....By the end of Stonewall, it's difficult to make any generalizations beyond the obvious one that, by the end of the sixties, gays and lesbians had taken the first steps towards creating the new and better world that's only now beginning to come into existence.

Duberman writes very well; he knows and uses the larger contexts of sixties history; and he does a nice job in the 30 or so pages covering the Stonewall riot itself. Highly recommended.

[Ka'i NeSmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. The early days of the gay rights movement are understandably difficult to research due to their lack of coordination, but the disorder, miscommunication, and intrigue spill over into Duberman's writing. Despite the impressive amount of research, the writing is often speculative and gossipy. If he has so many facts, why stoop so low as silly rumors, such as the baseless assertion that Jim Fouratt slept with Jim Morrison, or that drugs addled Marsha P. Johnson's brain? I laughed out loud at the phrase "Perhaps that was exactly..." which is akin to saying "Theres a 60% chance that it's already raining." And the sentence: "'An omen, an omen! She's on our side!' was the nervous chorus in a thousand apartments across the city," can have no root in fact at all. Who is "she"? What thousands? The only value I can see in this book is its reflection of gay attitudes toward history during Martin Duberman's day, 1993. More of a gossip rag than a history. Disappointing.

[ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

We had to read & write an essay on a non-fiction book about American history for school, so here it is:

Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising that Changed America, by Martin Duberman, chronicles the lives of six activists (Craig Rodwell, Yvonne Flowers, Foster Gunnison, Sylvia Rivera, Karla Jay, and Jim Fouratt) of the Stonewall period, following them as they grow up and step into prominent roles in the late 1960’s gay rights movement. I selected this book because I didn’t know much about the Stonewall riots or early LGBTQ+ rights activists and wanted to learn something new about the beginnings of the pride movement in America.
Duberman’s main argument is that the Stonewall riots were primarily rebellions against police brutality, the role of the police raids in the gay bar scene, and the oppression and violence towards the LGBTQ+ community. The book describes how the riots at the Stonewall Inn began due to a raid by local police officers. While these raids were not uncommon in gay bars at the time, the patrons of such bars had begun to grow tired of the constant threats of violence and arrest by law enforcement. When the police raided the Stonewall Inn on June 27, 1969, the patrons began to protest, taking to the streets to physically fight with the cops. News of the Stonewall uprising spread through the gay community of New York City, and hundreds of people from throughout Greenwich Village, where the Stonewall Inn was located, joined in. Sylvia Rivera reports that the riot got violent at times: dozens of LGBTQ+ protestors were injured by the cops, suffering broken knees, bloody noses, and even the loss of fingers (Duberman 248). This shows how the Stonewall Riots were primarily rebelling against the violent police. Furthermore, signs appearing on the Stonewall Inn’s broken windows after the first night of rioting declared “THEY [the police] INVADED OUR RIGHTS,” showcasing the anger gay people felt towards the police (Duberman 249). The riots continued over the next few nights, gaining traction from coverage by local newspapers and literature spread by activists; on the second night of protesting, thousands of participants and onlookers gathered outside the Stonewall on Christopher Street. Police brutality towards the rioters continued, with countless broken bones and bruised heads: “...at least two men were clubbed to the ground” (Duberman 253). When the riots had ended, Craig Rodwell wrote a flyer on behalf of the group he ran, the Homophile Youth Movement (HYMN), proclaiming “GET THE MAFIA AND THE COPS OUT OF GAY BARS” (Duberman 253). The anger LGBTQ+ people felt towards the police, and the mafia who ran Stonewall and many other gay bars, was palpable.
One thing that I found interesting was how many prominent activists, authors, and important figures the main six seemed to know: from Sylvia Rivera’s close relationship with Marsha P. Johnson, a famous gay liberation activist and drag queen, to Craig Rodwell’s romance with Harvey Milk, a well-known gay politician, to Yvonne Flowers’s friendship with the famous lesbian writer, Audre Lorde, early LGBTQ+ rights activists seemed to have had a tight-knit group. However, there was also a significant amount of drama and hostility between early homophile groups. I found it interesting that although these groups were all working towards the same common goal of freedom and equality for gay and lesbian people, they often seemed to clash due to differing levels of support for other marginalized communities, such as people of color and women, and their varying placements on a political spectrum. Although all of these groups were undeniably liberal (they were fighting for gay rights, after all), only some supported feminist causes, the Black Panthers, and other such groups, and only some opposed the war in Vietnam. Additionally, Stonewall explained that anti-war activists, feminists, and others, were not always sympathetic to the gay rights movement. In particular, Karla Jay, Yvonne Flowers, and Jim Fouratt had struggles in fitting into multiple political groups. Karla and Yvonne, as lesbians, often found that they did not fit into the primarily-male gay rights movement, but were also shunned in feminist circles for their sexualities. Additionally, Yvonne was a black woman, leading her to feel uncomfortable in both feminist and LGBTQ+ spaces. Eventually, she created a small group of black lesbians and other lesbians of color in the GLF (Gay Liberation Front), but it was not until a few years after the Stonewall Riots that she was successful in creating a strong, long-lasting group of black lesbians. Furthermore, Jim Fouratt began his political career with the Yippies, a group of young, countercultural hippie activists who opposed the Vietnam War and advocated for free speech. However, Jim found that groups of straight activists, no matter how politically liberal, often did not accept his sexuality or want to support gay rights causes. I feel like I have a much better understanding of the radical political landscape of the 1960s: Stonewall does a great job of challenging the assumption that all radical activist organizations worked together to create one unified far left group.


4.5/5 stars. I thought it focused too much on Craig Rodwell (who, to be fair, was pretty important). Other than that it was good, just a little long.


"... they had all somehow come through, had managed to arrive at this unimaginable coming together, this testimony to a difficult past surmounted and a potentially better future in view."

[Jess Kovie · Rating 3 out of 5]

my review at aliyah's request: it was good! this is like one of THE classic stonewall books but i had only read parts of it (for a paper last year). it isn't just a retelling of the actual events around the time of the riots; instead, it's six stories of individuals involved. each chapter covers a portion of their lives, starting in childhood, all the way to the 80s/90s i think. while the book didn't give a lot more info about the big historic moments than i already knew, it does give insight into the people who made it happen. it's easy to forget that the people involved in historic events like stonewall were, well, real people. in fact, many were very interesting people with really tragic backgrounds that they used to make really important strides for the LGBTQ movement. reading them reminded me how fortunate i am to be a privileged queer woman today, rather than less than a century ago. my comfort was built on their resistance. all that being said, i gave this a three because it wasn't the most engaging queer history book i've read and it also wasn't the most informative.

[max theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

imo the title of this book is a little misleading, because 90% of the book is less focused on stonewall and more on pre-stonewall LGBT movements and how stonewall slotted into them. that said, it is an absolutely amazing resource for pre-stonewall movements! i picked this up in a fit of feverish gay-book-buying and i am legitimately so happy i did; it's for the most part very vivid and overall extremely well-researched and written... + it's also just a very important read imo. a lot of the figures featured have since died; it made me realize more than ever how important it is that we learn our elders' history while they're still here.

[sana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They were all, in their own ways, euphoric, just as, in their own ways, they had all somehow come together, this testimony to a difficult past surmounted and a potentially better future in view."

I was reeled into the stories of Craig, Yvonne, Foster, Karla, Jim and Sylvia from the very beginning. Non fiction books like these can sometimes be dry, but Martin Duberman did a really great job of making this book engaging and so so real, the history was almost tangible. I'm so glad I read this and so grateful that Duberman wrote it.

[Tara Aragi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well researched but not overly scholarly. The political actors in it include Rodwell, Flowers, Jay, Riveria (trans icon), Fourrett and Gunnison Jr and their experiences being involved in their respective queer communities and the unfolding of events on June 27th 1969. Stonewall will forever be an important part of queer history, and for generations to come a turning point of the history in the 60s. Beautiful, beautiful book.

[Jeannette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book but found I struggled with its disjointed approach. It read at times like a history textbook - a lot of facts and dates and like a school report - facts about the six individuals in the book. I guess I would have rather learned through their experiences, their perspectives, their emotions rather than the reporting of facts about their involvement in the movement. The title lead me to think it was about the Stonewall riots; however, it was in large part about the gay/lesbian/trans movement in the 60s. Nonetheless, I am glad I read it.