The Hub of the Gay Universe: An LGBTQ History of Boston, Provincetown, and Beyond

by Russ Lopez

This LGBTQ history of Boston and Provincetown begins with the coming of Europeans to Massachusetts in 1620 and ends with the victory over the referendum to overturn transgender rights in 2018. It includes the many high points of these four hundred years: the torrid romances of nineteenth century actress Charlotte Cushman, the glamorous nightlife of 1950s Boston, the wild times of 1970s Provincetown, and the great outpouring of happiness that accompanied the country's first same-sex marriages. And it describes the tragedies: murders of trans women and gay men, the terrible waves of repression of the 1920s, and the devastation of the AIDS years. It documents how LGBTQ people have been present in the region at least since the coming of Europeans and how LGBTQ people had developed a political consciousness and were advocating for their rights well over a century before Stonewall. This is an important book for anyone who has lived in or visited this historic city and fabulous resort or anyone who cares about the history of LGBTQ people.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT

354 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Scott Pomfret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historian of all things Boston turns his attention and considerable research skills to Boston’s hidden LGBTQ history covering hundreds of years to the very immediate present. Perhaps most striking are the cycles of flourishing and oppression that occurred over the period studied. Turn of the century Boston through the 20s was a relatively open period where many (at least upper class) LGBTQ persons succeeded in a variety of fields and a variety of relationships. The second big theme is that LGBTQ flourishing is decidedly not evenly spread across the classes and that applies as much to the past as the present. Lopez is particularly careful to address the peculiar and continuing travails of trans and African-American communities.

Lopez has worked hard to identify dozens of LGBTQ Bostonians who have been largely lost to history (and a goodly number who have not been so lost) and he tells their individual stories in an engaging way. What I wished for, however, was some sort of overarching narrative tension or theme to link the various vignettes, because—however charming individually—they come across as a research download or a list. Lopez exerts less effort in linking the stories than he does in connecting them (or at least is less successful).

Notwithstanding this weakness, the history is a delight, especially for those who are local. The roots of much of today’s Boston and Provincetown (and their respective traditions and bars and conflicts) go way, way back and it’s wonderful to view them in an historical (rather than a-historical) light.

[BosGuy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone interested in LGBTQ history in the United States will find this a fascinating read.

In full disclosure, I know and am friendly with the author so that may color my review but this book will likely appeal to those who reside or hail from New England. Published in 2019 by Shawmut Peninsula Press, The Hub of the Gay Universe: An LGBTQ History of Boston, Provincetown and Beyond, was written by Russ Lopez.

The 300+ page soft cover starts in the early 1600s when Pilgrims landed first in Provincetown and soon after in Plymouth and concludes with the progress the LGBTQ community has made in present day. Lopez beautifully captures moments in history and shares story after story about pioneers – many of whom you’ve never heard because American queer history is virtually unknown and barely taught. Some of my favorite sections include photos from the past that are included in his book.