CHICAGO (August 10, 2011) — The publication, Out in Chicago: LGBT History at the Crossroads, which is being produced in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition, is an150-page book that includes seven important and ground-breaking essays, four of which are based on past “Out at CHM” programs and new scholarship. Exhibition co-curators Jill Austin and Jennifer Brier served as editors of the book and are authors of the introduction.
The essays explore many areas of LGBT history including gender transgressions from 1850 through 1920; social reformer Jane Addams and how she built her life around women; Richard Nixon’s investigation of corruption in Chicago which helped liberate Chicago’s LGBT communities; Walt Whitman, who built his life and work upon the foundation of emotional and affectionate bonds with men, and nineteenth-century romantic friendships; gays and gospel music and how the church played an important role in the lives of African American men; and how Latinos have played an influential role in Chicago and LGBT culture. These essays were individually written by Jennifer Brier and Anne Parsons; Victoria Brown; John D’Emilio; Jay Grossman; E. Patrick Johnson; and Lawrence La Fountain Stokes, Ramon Rivera-Servera, and Lourdes Torres. The last essay, “On the Gay Side of Town: Chicago’s Homosexual Subculture Before World War Two,” by the late Gregory Sprague in 1983, is an unpublished manuscript where the author focuses on the early years of Chicago’s gay community. This manuscript is part of the Museum’s archival collections. This is the first time this essay has been published in its entirety.
The publication of these essays helps to ensure the preservation of a significant part of Chicago’s history, offering fresh insights on the city’s history and its residents. The book ($19.95) is now available for purchase in the Chicago History Museum Store and will soon be available through Kindle e-books. Find the book and other Chicago merchandise both in-store and in the Museum’s online shop, which can be found by visiting www.chicagohistory.org. For more information, please contact the Museum store at 312-642-4600.
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The Chicago History Museum, a major museum and research center for Chicago and American history, is located at 1601 N. Clark Street. The Museum can be reached by CTA buses 11, 22, 36, 72, 73, 151, and 156. Parking is conveniently located one block north of the Museum at Clark and LaSalle Streets (enter on Stockton Drive). Admission to the Museum is $14 adults with audio tour, $12 seniors/students with audio tour, free for children 12 years and younger. Please call 312.642.4600 or visit us at www.chicagohistory.org. The Chicago History Museum is affiliated with the Chicago Historical Society and acknowledges the Chicago Park District’s generous support of all the Museum’s activities.