Between Worlds: A Queer Boy from the Valleys

by Jeffrey Weeks

A man's own story from the Rhondda. Jeffrey Weeks was born in the Rhondda in 1945, of mining stock. As he grew-up he increasingly felt an outsider in the intensely community-minded valleys, a feeling intensified as he became aware of his gayness. Escape came through education. He left for London, to university, and to realise his sexuality. From the early 1970s he was actively involved in the new gay liberation movement and became its pioneering historian. This was the beginning of a long career as a researcher and writer on sexuality, with widespread national and international recognition. He has been described as the 'most significant British intellectual working on sexuality to emerge from the radical sexual movements of the 1970s.' His seminal book, Coming Out, a history of LGBT movements and identities since the 19th century, has been in print for forty years. He was awarded the OBE in the Queen's Jubilee Honours in 2012 for his contribution to the social sciences.

Genres: Queer, Nonfiction, LGBT

300 pages, Paperback

Published July 29, 2022

About the author

Jeffrey Weeks OBE (born 1945) is a gay activist and an historian and sociologist specialising in work on sexuality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey...


Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Vicky "phenkos" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffrey Weeks needs no introduction. A well-known gay activist, Weeks is also a historian and author of numerous books, articles and papers. His books Coming Out, Sexuality and Its Discontents and others have adorned the shelves of many a student house (including one I used to live in) since they appeared in print. Between Worlds is his autobiography from young boy growing up in a close-knit mining community in Wales to gay activist in London in the 70s and later respected historian and sociologist of LGBT identities in Britain. The book however, is not just a record of a personal journey but also of a profound "social and cultural transformation" that led from the de-criminalisation of homosexuality and the erupting gay movement to a wider acceptance of LGBT identities in Britain today. We sometimes take all this for granted but barely a generation ago homosexuality was illegal, reputations and careers were easily destroyed, and young people were more likely to hate themselves for their feelings than find positive role models.

The book starts with Week's childhood in the Rhondda region in Wales in the 50s and early '60s. One of those places where life revolved around the pit, the radical politics of the trade union, and the pub, the Rhondda epitomised powerful contradictions:

The Rhondda I grew up in was a byword for community, for neighbourliness, for warmth and mutual support. All this was true. The downside was that it was also a conservative, defensive, inward-looking culture. It bred intense local trust and strong social bonds, but also a prickly distrust of the wider world, and an acute sensitivity to criticism, especially from insiders.

It would be unfair to say that this warmth and support did not also extend to young people like Weeks. On one condition, though: that they kept their homosexual feelings a secret never to be made public. It was not that there were no other lesbians or gay men if you knew where to look; it's rather that the sense of shame and guilt was so strong that a young boy like Weeks could easily be led to believe he was the only one. This atmoshere of secrecy and shame was soon to change, though, as young Weeks finds out when he moves out of the Rhondda and into the whirlpool that was 60s London. The student movement, the repercussions of the Stonewall riots, the formation of the GLF (Gay Liberation Front), the emergence of a radical gay and lesbian movement that challenged the established mores, all this contributed to unprecedented changes both in attitudes and in lifestyle choices.

Weeks documents these changes with the precision of an eyewitness. His involvement with radical gay politics, his participation in groupings that sought to promote the acceptance of homosexuality, and his friendships and connections with other gay activists, historians and academics form the backbone of the book. Weeks does not shy away from documenting the tensions and divisions within the gay movement as well. Diverse and sometimes opposing views about how gay liberation could be achieved, the close links but also bitter disagreements with the labour and trade union movement, the rejection of the politics of an older, more cautious generation make this book a fascinating account of the gay movement and its development. But this is also a personal story; faithful to the 60s belief that "the personal is political", Weeks intertwines his historical account with his own personal journey as activist, researcher, historian and a sexual being.

This book will appeal to those interested in a history of the gay liberation movement in Britain from the '60s onwards. Its direct and simple style can be deceptive; beneath it, one will find a subtle and nuanced approach to the questions and issues that concerned the generation of gay people that came of age in the late sixties. Chapter 1, however, the account of Weeks' childhood years in the Rhonnda has a much wider appeal. A story of the forces that sustained communities that are no more, at least in that form, this chapter will apeal to anyone who was ever aware of being different in a world that both cherished and smothered him/her.

I left the Rhondda just before my nineteenth birthday, and despite regular visits in the 50-odd years since never lived there again. I moved into different worlds, became a different person, not despite but in large part because of the love and support provided by my parents ... Yet, as a queer boy from the Rhondda I had to flee its intense embrace in order to become myself. What that self was or could be I have spent a lifetime exploring.

Thank you to netgally and Parthian Books for an advance copy.

[C. B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful memoir that perfectly blends the personal, political, and intellectual currents of Weeks’s life. I was enchanted by Weeks’s humanity and impressed with the enormity of his academic achievements. We wouldn’t have queer history as we know it without him. Weeks is humble about this and seems just as thoughtful in his seventies as he was in his thirties—he’s no stagnant thinker. A great piece of life writing that has inspired me to carry on.

[Bob Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have admired Weeks for a while, being as he was one of the first queer historians I read, and was an absolute lifesaver while writing university essays (he’s great for a good quote about queer history or about queer identities).

In this book, he turns the lens on himself, and takes us through the fascinating times and locations that created him, from being a young sensitive and nerdy child in the Welsh valleys, to being heavily involved in the early days of queer activism in London.

These parts of the book are some of the most powerful- Weeks captures the energy, spirit and characters of both, and really creates a vision of a time that was hung in the balance, and was so pivotal to his life and those of many others.

He then moves on to his life as a historian, watching, documenting and writing about the UK (and wider world) as it goes through some significant turning points, especially for LGBTQ+ people (the first pride parades, the AIDS crisis, Thatcher, Section 28, equality legislation).

It occasionally veers a little into digressions about university life, but Weeks is at his best when he describes the unimaginable transformations in queer life and acceptance he has witnessed throughout his life, and his role as a historian and archivist means he observes them with brilliant insight and tenderness.

The moments where he connects the wider national picture with his personal life- in which he watches partners fall ill and pass away, and explores different relationship types- are really quite special. You realize just how much of the last few decades he has seen go by, and just how far we have all come.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rubicon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one had personal resonance for me; Jeffrey is my second cousin, which is pretty wild, considering where we come from - it would be exceptionally unlikely for there to be one person in our family who is academic, a writer, gay, into queer activism and research and social history, etc. - let alone two!

(Not that I'm comparing my accomplishments to his, of course. He has an OBE for his research into queer history, has published numerous books, is internationally respected for his work, and is generally a Very Big Cheese in his field; I'm a lowly freelance editor who's still struggling to finish book #1, ha.)

But even without the personal connection, this is a fascinating memoir that braids together Jeffrey's personal history with the astonishing developments he's witnessed - legal, social, political - in queer rights and lives since the 1950s. I heartily recommend it to LGBTQ people who want to know more about our histories - especially if you're also from somewhere where being gay was far from ok. If you're Welsh, it'll certainly give you a hearty dose of hiraeth, albeit the ambiguous kind (you hated it, you loved it, you miss it, you can't ever go back...). But it also has a global appeal, an internationalist flavour, taking in developments in San Francisco, South America, and elsewhere.

In a nutshell: If you're interested in queer social history that's eminently readable (I read this in two sittings), not at all dry, and mixes the personal with the political, this book is definitely for you.

Recommended!

[Chloe McCrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This terrific memoir spans the life of Jeffrey Weeks with a focus on his academic career interspersed with his personal life. This is an informative read that both challenges and interests. The issues that arise during Jeffrey's life within the LGBTQI community include the HIV and Aids epidemic, the rights (or the lack) of a spouse, Section 28,

I was enthralled with Between Worlds as I find LGBTQI history important, something we should all be aware of. This shouldn't just be fore those with an interest in the community but an essential for everyone to read.

This autobiography is extensively referenced and I plan to look back at the bibliography to look towards further reading in this area.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew nothing about Jeffrey Weeks going into this book so I might be a little biased...but I loved this. I am forever fascinated by the lives of LGBTQ+ persons who lived through 1970-2000s and this man was in the thick of it. Very interesting read and I hope to pick up my own copy in the future to share with friends. Would recommend to those looking to expand their understand of LGBTQ+ struggles pr are just big ole' lovers of memoirs like myself

4.5 stars.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of this book Jeffrey Weeks comments,"Reading the memoirs of people I knew has a special resonance, offering a community of belonging across distance." (p 251) This statement sums up some of what I felt as I read his memoir.

Jeffrey is a generation older than I am. (He started university the year I was born.) He comes from a different country and a different class background. I met him some time in the 1990s perhaps when I was still a PhD student and for several years in the early 90s, as an early career academic, regularly attended a monthly seminar he hosted at South Bank University in London. We shared an interest in family, especially as it was shaped by those who were critical of the ways in which it shaped gender and sexual relations. He was also part of a broader group of scholars who had influenced my own thinking on these questions, many of whom are discussed in this memoir of his political and intellectual life.

This book situates his (prolific) earlier publications in a personal and political narrative in an interesting way, drawing out the specificities of time and place that influenced his thinking. He documents an academic career that was precarious long before academic precarity became a major topic of conversation. It was not the career he might have planned, not least in terms of discipline, but I know from experience that he influenced the careers of many other academics not only through his writing but through the institutional spaces he was able to create.

His personal story provides an interesting perspective on the history of higher education in England over the past 40 years even if it is not the main focus of his analysis. It speaks to current discussions about access, institutional hierarchies, and the influence of government policies on what it is possible to teach and research.

The main focus, of course, is on his interest in sexualities and the LGBT movement as both a way of living and an object of study. He situates his own work in relation to debates of the time, as those developed over about 50 years (from the late 60s). This provides useful context for understanding some of the political and intellectual differences between the UK and the US, in particular, though he also talks about a broader global network of scholars and Latin America in particular.

[agate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lives of gay activists during the 70s onwards had always fascinated me, as someone who was very shielded from gay history growing up, Reading about the experiences of someone who lived through these times was very interesting and I enjoyed the mix of personal and professional aspects of this memoir. It was also interesting to see the various influences on Weeks' writings and activism. I love seeing how writers reach their conclusions as these are often extremely nuanced topics. It was very clear that Weeks has been influenced by a wide variety of people and ideas. I particularly loved Weeks' thoughts on the idea of community and grassroots activism, even if his race commentary was lacking. Another theme throughout the memoir was understanding the views of others, even if you didn't agree, and the analysis of these various ideas was quite compelling.

However, the reason I picked up this book was the promise of a discussion surrounding queerness in the valleys (as I am currently queer in the valleys). We definitely got an insight into Weeks' childhood and the struggles of growing up as a gay man in the Rhondda. What was lacking for me, was a link to the valleys throughout the rest of the memoir. For the majority of the memoir, no links were made to the Rhondda, which is something I would have liked to see a deeper exploration of. The parts that did talk about the Valleys culture were extremely interesting, I just wish it was a theme throughout!

Overall, an interesting read.

[yellowbrickfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeffrey Weeks’ ‘Between Worlds’ serves the dual role of an autobiography and a firsthand telling of the UK’s social evolution from the 1960s to the present day. Beginning from his childhood home in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, he tells the story of the evolution of his people as he experienced it. He weaves a narrative showing how the changes in the global political landscape impacted UK policy, how that in turn had economical and social ramifications on the tight knit community of the valley, and how the impact was ultimately felt by an adolescent Jeffrey in the form of changing gender roles within his home and the altered economic habits of his family and community.

The seemingly solitary experience of a queer boy in a small mining town in Southern Wales turns into that of a young man making his way as a gay rights activist and scholar in London. From the Welsh countryside, the setting shifts to the heady rooms of the early years of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). An experience of isolation evolves into an intense and passionate journey of communal learning and the fight for equal rights in 1960s London. Weeks weaves a narrative of the evolution and growth of his perspective on his identity as a gay man, in parallel with the growth of the movement itself. The story he tells is that of a group of young people doing whatever they could to increase visibility of the gay community in London. Slowly, they recognize their growing power as they realized that their activism was making a real impact. Importantly, Weeks describes the evolution of the movement from a unified front that fought for basic human rights to a diverse schismatic one with various sects, differing opinions and often conflicting priorities. This change reflects the diversity and nuance contained within the complex identity and experience often reduced to the single word ‘gay’.

As the movement expands, so does Weeks’ career and the reader’s perspective. We move from a house in the Rhondda valley, to the still partially hidden gay community in London, to various hubs of thought across universities in the UK, to the globally connected and diverse discourse of the LGBTQ+ movement of the present day. Weeks’ burgeoning career is paralleled by his growing understanding of his own identity. He reflects on the naivety of his beliefs. For example, as a young man he used to believe that the generations that came before him were too cautious, and experience leads him to recognize that he is able to live and view his predecessors’ acts as cautious because those same “cautious” acts were brave and audacious enough to pave the way to his current life. The book takes a macro-view to the movement, and as a result Weeks often notes occasions when his knowledge grew more nuanced without actually explaining what those nuances are.

Weeks talks of how his career as a historian and sociologist of the gay movement put him in a liminal space that often felt limited and constricting. As in many themes of his life, that specific space between worlds is what makes this telling powerful and unlike any other in skill and perspective.

[BINSHA ANAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between Worlds
A Queer Boy from the Valleys

Jeffrey Weeks


Jeffrey Weeks is a gay activist, historian and author.
This book is a record of the author's personal journey as a queer,along with the social and cultural transformation of the society/the world he lives through .
The book traces his personal and professional life, which began in 1945 in Rhonda to 1970's London.There he became a researcher and writer in sexuality.He puts forth how he joined with Gay Liberation Front(GLF)and other political, social turmoils which occurred in the time period and how he became a well known gay activist for the LGBT identities in Britain.The impact of these turmoils were visible and gave them strength to fight more.The struggles of those who came out, in the narrow minded society of the time and how they overcame this is also unveiled through passage of time.The book analyses how 'the prejudices, stereotypes, insults, discriminations, guilt and shame' shaped the lives of people of the community.
The historical incidents like decriminalisation of lgbt activities, first pride parade,the AIDS crisis,section 28 etc changed their living atmosphere.
He gives many references to other articles and books which can be used for further readings.

Though its a nonfiction, being a memoir,the personal and social narrative is very engaging. The writer provides many insights about the community, different perspectives from the community itself (for instance, regarding marriage and adoption ).
The evolution of lgbtq+ community in Britain is well presented with all its ups and downs along with the legal, social and political stands.
A must read to know the origins of queer movements in Britain.

[toria (vikz writes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to see an arc. I first encountered the work of this author when I was at university. His work was a cornerstone of the emerging study of sexuality and LGBT representation. In addition, Weeks' work played a vital role in my development.
Therefore, I was excited to hear that they had written an autobiography, intrigued to read it, and pleased to receive a copy from the publisher. I was not disappointed. This book is a fascinating self-portrait of an inspirational figure. This book explores the author's early life, his childhood in Wales, and his growing understanding of his sexuality.

He then outlines his role in LGBT activism and academia. He looks at his role in the emerging study of queer history. Moreover, Weeks explores the political climate of the 1980s and 1990s, looking at the key debates around sexuality. As someone growing up at that time, this exploration provoked feelings of nostalgia. If you weren't there, then this discussion will give you an understanding of the origins of today's queer/lgbt+ movement. It is a highly recommended read.

[The Old Book Barn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
This is the memoir of Jeffrey Weeks, a popular gay activist and historian. The book delves in to the lives of LGBTQ+ people of the 70's, how they strived in a very narrow minded society of that age. It brings to light the journey they had to make to reach where they are now and reduce the sharp gaze of the onlooking so-called normal people. The experiences of those people were really interesting to read about and lot of thoughts to ponder about. I liked how he stressed on coming together as a community and find a space for similar people in the society. Weeks has covered not just how they lived their personal lives, but also their experiences in their professional life as well.
This book is a must read for everyone within and out of the community to understand the lives of the fellow members of the society and to co-exist giving space for all categories of people. It was an enlightening experience reading the book.

[Rudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I'm currently researching what the Valleys is and was like for queer people. I wish it had more of this, for purely selfish reasons! It was also really interesting to read about the arc of ideology and belief that took place in Weeks' life, both his own and those of the communities and governments around him. I do think he could've drawn more attention to the crisis of transphobia in the UK as he was writing, but we can't have it all!

[Fern]

Thank you so much for my ARC copy. I'm Welsh and gay and so much of this, especially the descriptions of valley life and the Welsh mentality really reminded me of my own family.

It's fascinating and important to know more about previous generations of lgbt activists, and amazing to see Weeks turn his sharp sociological gaze upon himself. He also has a very gentle and easy writing style.

[Forthbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author writes very well and his description of family life in working class Wales
rings true. The isolation and stress felt by a gay boy in this masculine environment is very moving . I admit to not having finished the book because its bleak parts were getting me down but that is my problem not the author's.

Thanks to NetGalley

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Declaration of interest: Jeff and his work have been an inspiration to me in my own research. What a very long way the fields of history of sexuality/queer history have come since those marginalised and precarious days.

[carelessdestiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

He speaks for a generation in a very insightful,comprehensive way.