Rethinking the Closet: New York Gay Life Before Stonewall
Although the 1969 Stonewall rebellion is often called the starting point for queer life and politics, this lecture describes the extensive gay world that existed in New York in the generation before Stonewall. Drawing on his forthcoming book on postwar gay New York, historian George Chauncey explores the different forms gay male life took in the city’s racially segregated postwar neighborhoods and analyzes the dramatic impact the Second World War had on gay consciousness and cultural styles.
George Chauncey is the author of the groundbreaking book Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940. The DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, he testified as an expert witness in the 2010 Prop 8 marriage equality trial in San Francisco federal court and has participated in more than 30 other gay rights cases. In 2022, the Library of Congress awarded him the Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity.
Participant Bios:
Dr. George Chauncey is a professor of history at Columbia University. Chauncey works on the history of gender, sexuality, and the city, with a particular focus on American LGBTQ history. He is best known as the author of Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890–1940. In 2022, the Library of Congress awarded him the John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity.
This lecture is organized by One Institute and is co-presented with the Los Angeles LGBT Center as part of Circa: Queer Histories Festival 2025, presented by One Institute.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center is a safe and welcoming place where the LGBTQ+ community finds help, hope, and support when it is needed the most.
Founded in 1952, One Institute is the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the country and the proud presenters of Circa: Queer Histories Festival. It's mission is to elevate queer and trans history and embrace emerging stories through collaborative education, arts, and cultural programs.
Each year, One Institute produces one-of-a-kind exhibitions and public programs connecting LGBTQ+ history and contemporary culture to effect social change. Through unique K-12 teacher trainings, lesson plans, and youth mentorship programs, One empowers the next generation of teachers and students bringing queer history into classrooms and communities. As the independent community partner of ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, One Institute helps promote the largest collection of LGBTQ+ materials in the world.