Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements

Not so long ago hardly anything was said of the Lesbian Liberation Movement and the Gay Liberation Movement, indeed, the terms gay and lesbian were not even used if some other expression could be found. Today, by contrast, hardly a day passes when something important does not occur, and is carried by the major media and disseminated on more personal levels through blogs and the social media. If anything, there is perhaps too much “news” and not enough “information.” Obviously, a book like this cannot keep up with the news, but it can do something equally important when it comes to information, by reminding us of the past and what has been going and just how fast events are moving. The Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements covers the history of this movement through a cross-referenced dictionary with over 1000 entries on specific countries and regions, influential historical figures, laws that criminalized same-sex sexuality, various historical terms that have been used to refer to aspects of same-sex love, and contemporary events and legal decisions. Including a comprehensive chronology and bibliography, this book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone interested in learning more about the struggle for equality.

The phrase 'lesbian and gay liberation' has a historical context that is expertly explicated in the introduction; it is also acknowledged to be dated in a way. The datedness does not mean that this book is not pertinent. The 1,000 or so entries in this volume by Myers will be a godsend for researchers seeking to identify key figures and ideas from the past half-century. Most major topics are covered here. . . . However, the strength of this dictionary, as with many volumes in the 'Historical Dictionaries' series, is the coverage of minor topics that is otherwise difficult to locate. Other strengths are the chronology and schematic bibliography. The last is especially helpful because the volume of LGBT material is so large now that guidance is needed. Myers is well-qualified to provide it, having been involved in LGBT scholarship and activism for several decades. . . . Overall, this is a very valuable resource. . . . Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers., This remarkable collection of material on lesbian and gay liberation movements both foreign and domestic was compiled by a college academic whose previous publications include the Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian Liberation Movement (see ARBA 2004, entry 825). This new dictionary is divided into four parts. The first is a chronology of over 30 pages that traces developments related to same sex love from Ancient Greece to 2013 (many of these entries are related to countries outside the United States). The second is a 44-page introduction that deals in narrative form with key issues, movements, and general concerns related to lesbian and gay liberation. These include topics related to politics, sociology, and health. The third, and largest part, is a dictionary of about 600 entries, each averaging about 10 lines in length, which deal with important people, legislation, terms, concepts, movements, organizations, events, and key publications. The longest entries (a page or two in length) are those dealing with individual countries. The cross-referencing in this section is outstanding (necessary because there no general index). Bold type is used within entries to indicate related material and generous see also references are found at the end of each entry. Coverage in the dictionary emphasizes lesbian-related topics. For example, there are entries for authors June Jordan, Patricia Highsmith, and Lorraine Hansbury. . . .The fourth section is an outstanding bibliography of about 1,200 unannotated books and articles arranged by subjects that cover all aspects of lesbian and gay life, including reference books, material on historical developments, and coverage on such contemporary social issues as employment, human rights, and coming out. Because of the wealth and breadth of the information found in this volume (plus its up-to-date coverage), this work is highly recommended for academic and public libraries where source material on the subject is in demand.

JoAnne Myers wrote a much appreciated Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian Liberation Movement about a decade ago, and now she has joined it with similar material on the Gay Liberation Movement. In fact, having the two together is particularly advantageous since both face similar problems and increasingly cooperate. This Dr. Myers realizes, since she is both an academic and an activist as well as an out lesbian. In addition to writing and lecturing, she teaches political science at Marist College where she is the co-director of the Women’s Studies Program.