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Don’t know much about (gay and lesbian) history?
Neil Miller has the remedy .
▼
by Andrea L.T. Peterson
way of stating them.
n his new book, Out o f the Past: Gay and
Out o f the Past is concrete evidence of the
Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present,
benefits of a fresh perspective. Although Miller is
author Neil Miller illustrates how “Within
a short period of time, a stigmatized iden not really saying anything new, his work is not
redundant. He has organized the history of gay
tity and sexuality— condemned by most
men and lesbians— even before they comprised
established religions, declared ‘sick’ by psychia
an actual movement, not only in this country, but
try, ridiculed by popular culture— has become
around the world— in such a way that readers may
‘gay,’ taken on a positive, even celebratory as
gain new insights and find previously held no
pect, and emerged as the basis of a community
tions challenged.
and culture.”
It is incredible to find, in the words of early gay
rights advocates, the same arguments used today
to impress upon the world the need for not just
tolerance of gay men and lesbians, but for accep
tance and equality.
The bottom line is that, in the big picture, the
Miller previously authored In Search o f Gay
gay and lesbian movement has made enormous
America (winner of the 1990 American Library
strides in a relatively short period of time—
Association prize for lesbian and gay nonfiction
especially in the United States. As Miller states,
and the Lambda Literary Award) and Out in the
“[I]n any historical survey of lesbians and gay
World: Gay and Lesbian Life from Buenos Aires
to Bangkok. With his new book, Miller has taken
men, it is hard not to be optimistic.”
In the 1870s there was no
on an immense challenge,
“gay,” there was no “homo
in a decade when literally
dozens of volumes have
sexual” identity. Homosexu
als were either sick, criminal
been published in an at
or incorrigible sinners. While
tempt to create— from the
notions of homosexuality as
various oral histories of
a sickness prevail among a
the gay and lesbian past—
few, while the law still seeks
a written chronicle of a
people who seem to have
to prosecute some who vio
nothing more in common
late surviving sodomy laws,
than their sexual orienta
and while Judeo-Christian-
tion.
ity—in almost all of its mani
festations—retains the belief
Out o f the Past is ab
that homosexuality is sinful,
solutely loaded: covering
everything from law, psy
the American Psychology
chiatry and “the church”
Association considers homo
to the media, the publish
sexuality an illness, most
ing and film industries and
states and countries world
sports.
wide consider consensual sex
M iller’s book is so
among same-gender adults a
crammed with details that
matter of personal privacy,
it makes for a fairly slow
and most denominations
read. Plans to read Out o f
have subgroups that support
the Past should include
lesbian and gay rights.
plenty of time—to read
As M iller illustrates,
and to process. In spite of it’s being exhaustive,
though swift in historical terms, change is slow on
the book is not exhausting. In fact, because it is so
a human scale— too slow for those who want to
thorough— and because Miller has included ex
serve in the military and far too slow for those
cerpts from dozens of legal documents and politi
infected with HIV.
cal statements, great works of literature, and state
Out o f the Past will, without a doubt, serve as
ments on freedom and sexuality from some of the
the perfect introduction to gay and lesbian his
greatest minds of the last 125 years— his book is
tory— or as a great supplement for those who have
riveting.
read everything in print to date.
In her recent address at OutWrite ’95, Essence
magazine senior editor Linda Villarosa reminded
Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from
her audience that anything they might want to
1869 to the Present by Neil Miller. Vintage Books,
write had already been written. She admonished
1995; $16 paperback. Miller will read from his
them, however, to write anyway. Regardless of
book at 7 pm Saturday, May 13, at Broadway
how often the same notions had been voiced, she
Books, 1714 NE Broadway in Portland. Call
said, any individual present would have a unique
284-1726fo r more information.
I
G uest C horeographers
O ffer B road S pectrum
of D ance as L ife
Crvmn&Capian
RgahyGroup
ronin & Caplan Realty Group, Inc. • 225-1115 • VM 497-5211
2078 N W Everett St. • Portland, O R 97209
The Oregon Ballet Theatre is bringing five of
the nation’s most creative and innovative chore
ographers to Portland for its fifth annual Ameri
can Choreographers Showcase to be held May 12
through 21 in the Intermediate Theatre of the
Portland Center for the Performing Arts.
Those choreographers are Lynn Cote, resident
choreographer for The Washington Ballet, who
combines classical and contemporary elements in
her works; Fabrice Lemire, who most recently
choreographed the Portland Opera’s Tales o f
Hoffman; John Selya, who dances and choreo
graphs for New York’s American Ballet Theater;
and Josie Moseley, who has been nominated for
San Francisco’s prestigious Isadora Duncan Dance
Award.
Tickets for the American Choreographers
Showcase can be obtained by calling the OBT
ticket office at 222-5538 and all Ticketmaster
outlets at 224-4400. Prices range from $8 to $60.
Several other OBT events related to this show will
be held throughout May. For further information,
call OBT at 241-8316.
Compiled by Inga Sorensen