Books like Lonely Hunters by James T. Sears


James T. Sears compiles firsthand stories of gay men and lesbians raised in the social hierarchies of the Southern United States between the end of World War II and the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The book chronicles how these individuals navigated a culture that outwardly upheld genteel, heteronormative values while internally fostering covert subcultures, clandestine relationships, and the beginnings of public advocacy for gay rights. Sears’ research illustrates the parallel struggles for civil and gay rights, illustrating how Southern queer activists balanced the need to maintain social stature with the desire to express authentic identities. The narratives reveal the strategies—such as Boston marriages, duplex living arrangements, and disguised heterosexual partnerships—used to survive in a restrictive environment and the gradual emergence of out and organizing actions that laid groundwork for contemporary LGBTQ movements.
First publish date: 1997
Genre: History/Modern History
Authors: James T. Sears
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Lonely Hunters by James T. Sears

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