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Cyrano’s Sodomitical Circle The ringleader of these “forceful minds” (esprits forts) was the gifted poet Théophile de Viau. His blasphemies and boasts of “unnatural” sex shocked the godly, in particular two Jesuits who intrigued to get him banished from Paris. His exile was eased by the companionship of Jacques Des Barreaux, a nineteen-year-old of surpassing beauty and intelligence.
The Short Historic Life of Randy Shilts THE CAREER of Randy Shilts, the openly gay journalist who wrote three of the most widely read books dealing with gay life in the United States, seems to have been more or less synonymous with the history of San Francisco from his arrival in 1976 to his death in 1994—or such is the impression left by Andrew E. Stoner in his new biography.
The Riots: Before, During, and After The plight of transgender and non-binary people is also well documented in these pages. Christine Jorgensen recounts her sex-change operation and the media brouhaha that followed. Similarly, Virginia Prince, an early transgender activist, describes her journey toward self-acceptance. Mario Martino, who started the first counseling service for trans men in New York, recounts his ordeal with a series of “insensitive, cruel, and crude” lawyers when he sought to have his birth certificate reflect his gender identity.
The Great Secret THIS BIG BOOK—550 large text-packed pages—is more than just the print presentation of one journalist’s research. Frédéric Martel’s In the Closet of the Vatican is a product of hundreds of interviews and investigative research carried out by the author and his eighty-member staff over several years in thirty countries around the globe.
The Greek Inspiration for Modern Dance [Isadora Duncan’s] influence was worldwide and did not go unnoticed by Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes. Duncan danced in Russia in 1904, 1905, and 1909, and several Ballets Russes collaborators saw her performances. Leon Bakst (1866–1924), costume and set designer, was attracted to her physical freedom and her classically influenced tunics and diaphanous costumes.
A Singer-Songwriter to Watch Out For If the vocals on Sing to Me Instead don’t give you the chills, you should see a doctor. On a twelve-track album that details numerous relationships, old and new, the strongest of the songs are “Ease My Mind” and “Grow As We Go.” The former, which dabbles in gospel music, allows [Ben] Platt to channel his inner Whitney Houston …

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August 16, 2019

The Best and Worst Destinations for LGBT Travelers

When it’s time to book your next getaway, you might like to visit one of the world’s more welcoming LGBT hotspots, and there are plenty to choose from. Listed below are some unmissable destinations …

August 5, 2019

Sign of the Times

After the ’69 riots, the word “gay” was widely adopted and had a pretty good run. The profusion of identities—some that would have been covered under “gay” but also a few new ones—is nicely captured by the pileup of signs.

August 1, 2019

An Almost Ordinary Summer

Start with a wildly improbable premise, throw in a huge cast of characters, let them all be Italians, and you’re in for a madcap romp that must set a record for number of words spoken in a 100-minute film.

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August 15, 2019

Boys at Swim in the 1950s

The thought of swimming naked had never occurred to me. I had never swum naked. I was scared but didn’t complain. Jay and I undressed as Tim complained to his father, who relented, “OK, you can wear your jock strap.

August 6, 2019

Portrait of a Face

A few weeks ago I visited the exhibition The Unflinching Eye at Mamdouha Bobst Gallery at NYU and a massive collection of work by David Wojnarowicz. The exhibit contained paintings,…More

August 6, 2019

Comrades in Arms

The last year of my military life, I was stationed at Fort Hancock in New Jersey. The base was situated on a peninsula jetting out northward from the surrounding highlands…More

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The Paris Cruising Scene in 1750

IF YOU HAVE VISITED Paris in the last five years, you may have seen a plaque embedded in the pavement in the pedestrianized blocks of rue Montorgueil that commemorates Bruno Lenoir and Jean Diot, the last men executed for sodomy (not homosexuality, as the inscription indicates) in France, on 6 July 1750. This plaque has undoubtedly provoked not only horror and sorrow but also questions in the minds of natives and tourists alike.

Essays

The Short Historic Life of Randy Shilts

THE CAREER of Randy Shilts, the openly gay journalist who wrote three of the most widely read books dealing with gay life in the United States, seems to have been more or less synonymous with the history of San Francisco from his arrival in 1976 to his death in 1994—or such is the impression left by Andrew E. Stoner in his new biography.

Essays

Cyrano’s Sodomitical Circle

The ringleader of these “forceful minds” (esprits forts) was the gifted poet Théophile de Viau. His blasphemies and boasts of “unnatural” sex shocked the godly, in particular two Jesuits who intrigued to get him banished from Paris. His exile was eased by the companionship of Jacques Des Barreaux, a nineteen-year-old of surpassing beauty and intelligence.

Features

‘The sapphic is far from a site of silence.’

The G&LR talks with the author of The Sexuality of History, Susan S. Lanser, professor emerita of English, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Comparative Literature at Brandeis University, and a specialist in 18th-century European literature, with a focus on women writers and issues related to gender and sexuality.
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1. August 16, 2019 The Best and Worst Destinations for LGBT Travelers
2. August 15, 2019 Boys at Swim in the 1950s
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