The gay decades : from Stonewall to the present : the people and events that shaped gay lives /

Anita Bryant, Leonard Matlovich, pride parades, gay rights legislation, Advocate, Boys in the Band, Torch Song Triology, Jerry Falwell, Harvey Milk--these names have all figured prominently in the gay rights movement. The Gay Decades is an interesting chronology of movies, fashions, popular music, advertising, pornography, culture, events, and publications beginning with the June 27, 1969, riot at Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, to December 31, 1990, with the Center for Disease Control reporting 100,777 deaths from AIDS in the U.S. to date. It is not intended as a comprehensive chronology but rather as one person's perception of what were the significant milestones that influenced gay men. There are numerous entries for lesbian events, but Rutledge acknowledges that the focus is on gay men. The entries are brief, to the point, and in some cases very entertaining. Numerous quotations are used to make a point. Rutledge's coverage includes AIDS statistics, when states repealed their sodomy laws, when states or cities enacted gay rights legislation and then repealed it, entertainers who have influenced gay social life, movies and TV programs with gay themes or characters, controversial antigay persons, political statements on gay rights, and major crimes against gays. A few black-and-white photographs add interest. The index facilitates locating a specific fact when the reader doesn't know the date. This is truly a window to gay rights history and should be required reading for gays and lesbians. Since there are so few sources of current facts on the gay rights movement, The Gay Decades should be available in reference collections in public and academic libraries. One word of caution: some entries may embarrass some readers in terms of the language used in the quotations. (Reviewed Aug. 1992)

Rutledge defines the ``Gay Decades'' as the period following the Stonewall Inn riots of 1969, marked by the development of a gay culture and identity. He includes materials not only pertaining to gay men and lesbians but also to politicians, rock and pop stars, and a multitude of others who have had an impact on the lives and captured the imagination of gay people. The author points out that the focus is primarily on gay men and should be followed by another book covering the ``Lesbian Decades.'' Rutledge, the author of The Gay Book of Lists ( LJ 11/1/87), The Gay Fireside Companion (Alyson Pubns., 1989), and Unnatural Quotations (Alyson Pubns., 1988), has produced a fascinating chronicle of gay life in late 20th-century America. It may well serve to fill a void in many reference collections with minimal gay studies resources. A valuable addition for academic and public libraries alike.-- Michael A. Lutes, Univ. of Notre Dame Lib., Ind. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.