Books like A queer history of the United States by Michael Bronski

Two Boys Kissing tells the true story of seventeen‑year‑old Harry and Craig as they attempt a 32‑hour kissing marathon to break a Guinness World Record, while other teens grapple with love, identity, and belonging.

A groundbreaking history of gay life in New York City from the 1930s to the 1960s.

An anthology of pioneering scholarship that uncovers the histories of gay and lesbian lives across diverse cultures and eras—from ancient Athens to post–World War II San Francisco—examining identity, community, and resistance.

Through interviews with over a thousand gay service members, Randy Shilts investigates the presence and treatment of homosexuals in the U.S. military, shedding light on discrimination and homophobia within the armed forces.

Explore early 20th‑century London’s hidden queer streets, clubs, and cultural life in Matt Houlbrook’s meticulous history, drawn from police files, newspapers, and personal letters.

Ten years ago, Samantha Allen was a suit-and-tie-wearing Mormon missionary. Now she's a GLAAD Award-winning journalist happily married to another woman. A lot in her life has changed, but what hasn't changed is her deep love of Red State America, and of queer people who stay in so-called "flyover country" rather than moving to the liberal coasts. In Real Queer America, Allen takes us on a cross-country road-trip stretching all the way from Provo, Utah to the Rio Grande Valley to the Bible Belt to the Deep South. Her motto for the trip: "Something gay every day." Making pit stops at drag shows, political rallies, and hubs of queer life across the heartland, she introduces us to scores of extraordinary LGBT people working for change, from the first openly transgender mayor in Texas history to the manager of the only queer night club in Bloomington, Indiana, and many more. Capturing profound cultural shifts underway in unexpected places and revealing a national network of chosen family fighting for a better world, Real Queer America is a treasure trove of uplifting stories and a much-needed source of hope and inspiration in these divided times.

Margot Canaday’s The Straight State traces how U.S. federal regulation of homosexuality developed from the early twentieth century through the postwar era, revealing the state’s role in creating second‑class citizenship for sexual minorities.

An exhaustive chronicle of Los Angeles’ gay community—from early 20th‑century cross‑genders and Hollywood bohemia, through WWII growth and 1950s counter‑culture, to the 1960s liberation movement and 1990s gay marketing boom.

Michael Bronski curates a bold collection of essays that challenge prevailing views on gay male identity, culture, politics, and activism.

"Breaks down the most commonly held misconceptions about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their lives. "You Can Tell Just by Looking" unpacks enduring, popular, and deeply held myths about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, culture, and life in America. Some of these myths, such as "all religions condemn homosexuality," have been used to justify discrimination and oppression of LGBT people. Other myths, such as "LGBT people are born that way," have been adopted by LGBT communities and their allies. By discussing and dispelling these myths--including gay-positive ones--the authors challenge readers to question their own beliefs and to grapple with the complexities of what it means to be queer in the broadest social, political, and cultural sense"--

A scholarly examination of gay Americans in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, tracing the dynamic power struggle between homosexual citizens and the military and its lasting impact on U.S. defense policy.

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.

A groundbreaking history of gay male identity in the United States, from World War I to the AIDS era.

Gay Power chronicles the rise of the modern gay rights movement from the 1965 Columbia student group to the transformative Stonewall riots, highlighting New York’s role as the political and cultural epicenter of LGBTQ activism.

The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage surveys nearly four hundred works across historical periods, highlighting the contributions of figures like Michelangelo, Armistead Maupin, Sappho, and Shakespeare to gay and lesbian literature.

Charles Kaiser’s history traces modern gay life in New York City, charting the rise of the gay rights movement and spotlighting its most influential figures.

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 overview of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer history in the United States from colonial times to the present, covering cultural, political, and social dynamics.