Queer History of the United States for Young People

“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 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.

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