Books like Encyclopedia of Homosexuality by Wayne R. Dynes

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

Robert Beachy chronicles how 1920s and 1930s Berlin became the world’s gay capital, pioneering gay journalism, rights organizations, sexual science, and gender‑affirming surgery, and how these developments shaped modern concepts of sex and gender.

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 comprehensive, engaging reference that surveys gay and lesbian culture, featuring quotes, facts, reading lists, pseudonym tables, and coverage of gay detective fiction from both male and female perspectives.

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.

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.

A scholarly study of love, sex, and gender in ancient Greece, revealing a distinct set of attitudes, behaviors, institutions, and social practices surrounding male homosexuality.

Bret Hinsch explores China’s extensive male homosexual tradition from the Bronze Age to the modern era, challenging stereotypes and revealing its influence on society.

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.

John Boswell’s comprehensive study traces how Western Christianity from antiquity to 1500 treated homosexual individuals, revealing how church attitudes and institutional practices shaped early societal norms.

A concise survey of same‑sex experiences from ancient Egyptian papyri to David Hockney, using art objects to illuminate the cultural contexts of gay, lesbian, and queer histories.