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Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood is John D'Emilio's coming-of-age story in which he takes readers from his working-class Bronx neighborhood and Columbia University to New York's hidden gay male subculture and the political and social upheavals of the late 1960s.

John D'Emilio is one of the leading historians of his generation and a pioneering figure in the field of LGBTQ history. At times his life has been seemingly at odds with his upbringing. How does a boy from an Italian immigrant family in which everyone unfailingly went to confession and Sunday Mass become a lapsed Catholic? How does a family who worshipped Senator Joseph McCarthy and supported Richard Nixon produce an antiwar activist and pacifist? How does a family in which the word divorce was never spoken raise a son who comes to explore the hidden gay sexual underworld of New York City?Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood is D'Emilio's coming-of-age story in which he takes readers from his working-class Bronx neighborhood to an elite Jesuit high school in Manhattan to Columbia University and the political and social upheavals of the late 1960s. He shares his personal experiences of growing up in a conservative, tight-knit, multigenerational family, how he went from considering entering the priesthood to losing his faith and coming to terms with his same-sex desires. Throughout, D'Emilio outlines his complicated relationship with his family while showing how his passion for activism influenced his decision to use research, writing, and teaching to build a strong LGBTQ movement.This is not just John D'Emilio's personal story; it opens a window into how the conformist baby boom decade of the 1950s transformed into the tumultuous years of radical social movements and widespread protest during the 1960s. It is the story of what happens when different cultures and values collide and the tensions and possibilities for personal discovery and growth that emerge. Intimate and honest, D'Emilio's story will resonate with anyone who has had to chart their own path in a world they did not expect to find

Intro -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1. Merle's Story -- 2. The Struggle for Self- Acceptance: The Life of George Buse -- 3. Renee Hanover: Always a Radical -- 4. Max Smith: A Gay Liberationist at Heart -- 5. The Gay Liberation Era in Chicago -- 6. A Queer Radical's Story: Step May and Chicago Gay Liberation -- 7. The Transvestite Legal Committee -- 8. A National Network under the Radar: The Transvestite Information Service -- 9. A Mother to Her Family: The Life of Robinn Dupree -- 10. Controversy on Campus: Northwestern University and Garrett Theological Seminary -- 11. Activist Catholics: Dignity's Work in the 1970s and 1980s -- 12. Dennis Halan and the Story of Chicago's "Gay Mass" -- 13. Moving Forward with Integrity -- 14. Lutherans Concerned: A Continuing Struggle -- 15. Running for Office: The Campaign of Gary Nepon -- 16. Ten Years after Stonewall: The Police Are Still Attacking Us -- 17. Trying to Work Together: The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Metropolitan Chicago -- 18. Knowledge Is Power: Chicago's Gay Academic Union -- 19. Sexual Orientation and the Law -- 20. A Lesbian Community Center in Chicago -- 21. The Artemis Singers and the Power of Music -- 22. Printing Our Way to Freedom: The Metis Press -- 23. Picturing Lesbian History: The Passion of Janet Soule -- 24. Lesbian Chicago: Striving for Visibility -- 25. We Are Family: The Birth of Amigas Latinas -- 26. Our Legacy Lives On: Amigas Latinas as an Activist Force -- 27. Challenging a Color Line: Black and White Men Together -- 28. Chicago Mobilizes to March on Washington -- 29. Confronting AIDS: The Response of Black and White Men Together -- 30. The Rise of Bisexual Activism -- 31. Impact '88: Becoming a Force in Electoral Politics -- 32. Facing Off with the Media: The Work of GLAAD-Chicago -- 33. Building Community: Peg Grey and the Power of Sports.

Why has the gay freedome struggle continued to thrive despite the conservative political climate of recent years? What happens when gay and lesbian educators come out of the closet? Combining historical and political analysis with autobiography and memoir. This book brings together the essays of John D'Emilio, a pioneering gay historian and long-time movement activist. Writeen over a period of almost twenty years, these essays provide a unique exploration of the history of gay life since World War II, describe the courage and accomplishments of gay and lesbian activities, and survey the vast changes that their movement for equality has had on American society, politics, and the university.