This lavishly illustrated book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and is an inspiring photographic journey through the LGBTQ+ Pride movement over the last century.
“A stirring history of the LGBTQ Pride movement.” —Publishers Weekly
This celebratory book is the most in-depth visual tribute to the LGBTQ+ pride movement ever created. The story starts in the bohemian subculture of post–World War I American cities. Author Christopher Measom next covers the influence of World War II, which relocated millions of people to single-sex barracks and factories, encouraging a freedom and anonymity that helped spark the formation of gay communities after the war. The repressive ’50s era saw the launch of two important rights organizations, the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis, that led to the rebellions of the 1960s—culminating in the game-changing Stonewall Uprising of June 1969. The book then explores the devastation of the AIDS crisis, its impact on gay culture, and the fight to bring awareness to the disease. The narrative is brought up to the present day with coverage of the struggles for equality in marriage, the military, and beyond—and the push for gender rights. With more than 120 photos, posters, artworks, ads, and other rarely seen memorabilia; profiles of icons in the movement such as Christine Jorgensen, Marsha P. Johnson, Harry Hay, and Stormé DeLarverie; excerpts from key news reports; speeches by leading activists and political figures including Harvey Milk, Urvashi Vaid, and Barack Obama; and passages from important dramatic, musical, and literary works such as Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, this book is a groundbreaking homage to a historic movement and its milestone achievements and hurdles.
