Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements

JoAnne Myers wrote a much appreciated Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian Liberation Movement about a decade ago, and now she has joined it with similar material on the Gay Liberation Movement. In fact, having the two together is particularly advantageous since both face similar problems and increasingly cooperate. This Dr. Myers realizes, since she is both an academic and an activist as well as an out lesbian. In addition to writing and lecturing, she teaches political science at Marist College where she is the co-director of the Women’s Studies Program.

The phrase 'lesbian and gay liberation' has a historical context that is expertly explicated in the introduction; it is also acknowledged to be dated in a way. The datedness does not mean that this book is not pertinent. The 1,000 or so entries in this volume by Myers will be a godsend for researchers seeking to identify key figures and ideas from the past half-century. Most major topics are covered here. . . . However, the strength of this dictionary, as with many volumes in the 'Historical Dictionaries' series, is the coverage of minor topics that is otherwise difficult to locate. Other strengths are the chronology and schematic bibliography. The last is especially helpful because the volume of LGBT material is so large now that guidance is needed. Myers is well-qualified to provide it, having been involved in LGBT scholarship and activism for several decades. . . . Overall, this is a very valuable resource. . . . Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers.