Books like "I thought people like that killed themselves" by Eric E. Rofes

Working from classic texts of European and American writers―including Melville, James, Nietzsche, Proust, and Wilde―Sedgwick analyzes a turn-of-the-century historical moment in which sexual orientation became as important a demarcation of personhood as gender had been for centuries. In her preface to this updated edition Sedgwick places the book both personally and historically, looking specifically at the horror of the first wave of the AIDS epidemic and its influence on the text.

In 1969, police raids on New York’s Stonewall Inn sparked the riots that ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement, reshaping society’s view of gay life.

A curated collection of primary documents that traces the historical journey of homosexuality in the United States—from colonial era through modern times—illustrating both cultural presence and the enduring persecution of gay men and lesbians.

A photographic journey through late‑1980s America that captures the varied lives of gay and lesbian communities, illustrating their efforts to form families, reconcile faith, and confront both racism and homophobia.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal issues concerning gender and sexual nonconformity in the United States. Part One, which covers the years from the post-Civil War period to the 1980s, is a history of state efforts to discipline and punish the behavior of homosexuals and other people considered to be deviant. During this period such people could get by only at the cost of suppressing their most basic feelings and emotions. Part Two addresses contemporary issues. Although it is no longer illegal to be openly gay in America, homosexuals still suffer from state discrimination in the military and in other realms, and private discrimination and violence against gays is prevalent. William Eskridge presents a rigorously argued case for the "sexualization" of the First Amendment, showing why, for example, same-sex ceremonies and intimacy should be considered "expressive conduct" deserving the protection of the courts. The author draws on legal reasoning, sociological studies, and history to develop an effective response to the arguments made in defense of the military ban. The concluding part of the book locates the author's legal arguments within the larger currents of liberal theory and integrates them into a general stance toward freedom, gender equality, and religious pluralism.

Graham Robb reveals a rich, historically grounded portrait of Victorian male and female homosexuality, drawing on European and American archives to dispel myths and spotlight a sophisticated subculture of oppression, secrecy, and unexpected tolerance.

A comprehensive examination of early‑20th‑century Britain that explores the social conditions and cultural trends shaping the modern lesbian image in popular culture.

David F. Greenberg traces the historical construction of male homosexuality from ancient civilizations through the Middle Ages to modern times, examining cultural, religious, and artistic attitudes that have shaped societal norms.

"Colonialism and Homosexuality is a thorough investigation of the connections between homosexuality and imperialism from the late 1800s - the era of 'new imperialism' - until the period of decolonisation. Aldrich reconstructs liaisons, including those of famous men such as Cecil Rhodes, E.M. Forster and Andre Gide, and their historical contexts. Each of the case studies is a micro-history of a particular colonial situation, a sexual encounter and its wider implications for cultural and political life."--Jacket.