A Queer History of the United States For Young People

by Richie Chevat and Michael Bronski 

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. Here we meet:

• 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.

Ages 12 and up
Paperback | 336 pages | Beacon Press; Illustrated edition | 2019