The rise of a gay and lesbian movement / Barry D. Adam.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-213) and index.

Origins of a homosexual people -- Early movements and aspirations -- The Holocaust -- The homophiles start over -- Gay liberation and lesbian feminism -- The rise of the new right -- Civil rights and electoral politics -- Queer politics -- Coming out arouond the world.

The past decade has seen a wealth of changes in the gay and lesbian movement and a remarkable growth in gay and lesbian studies. In response to this heightened activity Barry D. Adam has updated his 1987 study of the movement to offer a critical reflection on strategies and objectives that have been developed for the protection and welfare of those who love others of their own sex. This revised volume addresses the movement's recovery of momentum in the wake of New Right campaigns and its gains in human rights and domestic partners' legislation in several countries; the impact of AIDS on movement issues and strategies and the renewal of militant tactics through AIDS activism and Queer Nation; internal debates that continually shift the meanings composing homosexual, gay, lesbian, and queer identities and cultures; the proliferation of new movement groups in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa; and new developments in historical scholarship that are enriching our understanding of same-sex bonding in the past.