Danielle Itshaik
Response 3 of 5:
George Chauncey, Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940, (New York: Basic Books, 1995), Intro and chapter 9.
In his book “Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940”, George Chauncey delves into homosexuality and life in New York and how these two have comingled through time. Pre-WWII, the gay world “was supposed to have not existed” according to historians. However, this is not the case. In this book, Chauncey sought to acknowledge and restore this history. He begins by dissolving three myths which have fed the misconception that the gay world was almost nonexistent during 1890-1940. He continues on to correct several other misconceptions. In general, his introduction is effective in stripping down previous notions and allowing the reader to continue on with the correct ideas in mind.
This book discusses how living in New York before the gay movement had affected people’s lives. Chauncey states “Many gay men….described negotiating their presence in an often hostile world as living a double life, or wearing a mask and taking it off”. This gives insight into how difficult it actually was to be gay during that time period. Later in the book, it is stated that not only was it not socially acceptable to be gay, but one could be persecuted criminally. During that time, to have this secret world where gay people could be themselves was essential and something impossible to give up. The city played a large role in allowing for the gay world to exist. New York City enabled this secret life in some aspects. In general, it aids in allowing people from different and overlapping ethnicities, races, and sexualities to coexist. Without the anonymity of the city and how large it is, it would have been much more difficult to maintain this secret life.
Questions:
- Do you think living in the city helps people from different ethnicities, races, and sexualities to coexist?
- Do you think this book did a good job in clarifying the misconceptions about the gay world?
