A Queer History of the United States for Young People

by Michael Bronski (Author)

A Queer History of the United States for Young People

Named one of the Best Nonfiction Books of 2019 by School Library Journal Queer history didn't start with Stonewall. This book explores how LGBTQ people have always been a part of our national identity, contributing to the country and culture for over 400 years. It is crucial for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth to know their history. But this history is not easy to find since it's rarely taught in schools or commemorated in other ways. A Queer History of the United States for Young People corrects this and demonstrates that LGBTQ people have long been vital to shaping our understanding of what America is today. Through engrossing narratives, letters, drawings, poems, and more, the book encourages young readers, of all identities, to feel pride at the accomplishments of the LGBTQ people who came before them and to use history as a guide to the future. The stories he shares include those of * Indigenous tribes who embraced same-sex relationships and a multiplicity of gender identities.* Emily Dickinson, brilliant nineteenth-century poet who wrote about her desire for women.* Gladys Bentley, Harlem blues singer who challenged restrictive cross-dressing laws in the 1920s.* Bayard Rustin, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s close friend, civil rights organizer, and an openly gay man.* Sylvia Rivera, cofounder of STAR, the first transgender activist group in the US in 1970.* Kiyoshi Kuromiya, civil rights and antiwar activist who fought for people living with AIDS.* Jamie Nabozny, activist who took his LGBTQ school bullying case to the Supreme Court.* Aidan DeStefano, teen who brought a federal court case for trans-inclusive bathroom policies.* And many more! With over 60 illustrations and photos, a glossary, and a corresponding curriculum, A Queer History of the United States for Young People will be vital for teachers who want to introduce a new perspective to America's story.

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Publishers Weekly

In this adaptation of his 2011 book for adults, Bronski suggests that the Stonewall riots were precipitated by a great many LGBTQ Americans making their own strides toward liberty. Bronski opens with a discussion of the gender fluidity embraced by some indigenous North American tribes before providing brief biographies of queer individuals from history, along with discussion of changing views on sexuality throughout time. Some figures--Emily Dickinson, Jane Addams, Harvey Milk--will be familiar to readers. More obscure subjects include Jazz Age blues singer Gladys Bentley; 19th-century actor Charlotte Cushman; activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya; and Jose Sarria, the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the U.S., in 1961. Chavet's adaptation includes chapters devoted to modern coming-out stories, profiles of contemporary activists, and a look into "the future of queer history." Readers seeking role models from the past will find an edifying resource and invitation for further exploration into untold stories. Ages 12-up. (June)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 7 Up--This adaptation for teens of the author's 2012 Stonewall Award-winning A Queer History of the United States is doubly valuable; it serves well as a general read and fills a clear curricular need. Each carefully selected profile bolsters the case for queer leadership and activism as a driving force of progress. Captioned photos, helpful sidebars, and short chapters encourage browsing. Bronski is definitive about relationships being romantic or sexual only when there is evidence for that having been the case; he carefully avoids imposing current terminology or concepts on the featured individuals. Without diminishing the risk involved in challenging societal norms, the author shows how there were, even within other eras, cultural messages/spaces that allowed for what the status quo would now consider non-heterosexual behavior. Heartbreak, aging, and blind spots, in theory, are addressed as thoroughly as successes and legacies. There are a few flaws in the glossary: the use of "sex-reassignment" surgery (rather than gender confirmation) in relation to transgender individuals, and a definition of asexuality that equivocates about whether it is a sexual orientation or a temporary feeling. The explanatory tone and frequent definitions in this edition may feel awkward at times to the intended audience of older teens but could increase its usefulness for slightly younger readers. A good companion to Pénélope Bagieu's Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World and Sarah Prager's Queer, There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World. VERDICT An overall successful adaptation of an important work, rich with content relevant to all disciplines and beyond.--Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Readers will find a straightforward, documented, nonsensational celebration of the contributions of LGBTQ people in the US . . . No previous knowledge is assumed: definitions are provided, context is established, and quaint contemporary mores are explained . . . Above all, there is continuous reassurance that the definition of 'normal' has always been in flux, that numerous LGBTQ people have been important figures in American history, and that young LGBTQ people of today will make crucial contributions to future queer history."
Booklist, Starred Review

"This adaptation for teens of the author's 2012 Stonewall Award-winning A Queer History of the United States is doubly valuable; it serves well as a general read and fills a clear curricular need. Each carefully selected profile bolsters the case for queer leadership and activism as a driving force of progress."
School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D. J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few."
Kirkus Reviews

"Readers seeking role models from the past will find an edifying resource and invitation for further exploration into untold stories."
Publishers Weekly

"With its focus on individuals who dared to fight for their rights, A Queer History of the United States for Young People will serve as a touchstone for LGBTQ readers seeking proof of the greatness that preceded them and confidence in the success that awaits in their future."
Shelf Awareness

"Bronski's A Queer History of the United States for Young People is a necessary, comprehensive, and accessible primer for queer history. In a political climate that seeks to disappear LGBTQ people and our contributions to society, it's more important than ever to cultivate a relationship with our queer past. Taking guidance from the LGBTQ forebears profiled in this book gives us permission to imagine otherwise and strive beyond the status quo."
—Alok Vaid-Menon, gender non-conforming artist and author of Femme in Public

"It's no easy task to craft a nuanced story of queer history for young readers, but Michael Bronski and Richie Chevat have pulled it off. Weaving together stories of diverse historical and contemporary figures, this book peoples the queer past and present, with hope for the future."
—Leila J. Rupp, author of Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History

"This volume is both timely and timeless: a deep, scholarly dive into our history. It should sit at the table next to Zinn's People's History—required, essential reading for all people."
—Saundra Mitchell, editor of All Out and Out Now, and author of All the Things We Do in the Dark

Michael Bronski
Michael Bronski is Professor of the Practice in Activism and Media in the Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Harvard University. He has written extensively on LGBT issues for four decades, in both mainstream and queer publications including The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Advocate, Boston Review, Lambda Book Report, Z, and The Nation.

Richie Chevat writes fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. His adaptations for young readers include Our Choice by Al Gore and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. He lives in New Jersey.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780807056127
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Beacon Press
Publication date
June 11, 2019
Series
Revisioning History for Young People
BISAC categories
JNF025170 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/General
JNF053080 - Juvenile Nonfiction | LGBT
JNF052040 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Science | Sociology
Library of Congress categories
History
United States
Gays
Homosexuality
Sexual minorities

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