LGBT Issues & History

Novelist Edmund White has just completed his semi-autobiographical trilogy. The new novel The Farewell Symphony (Knopf) focuses on gay life from the 1960’s to the present. His other books include A Boy’s Own Story,The Beautiful Room is Empty,Genet: A Biography, Forgetting Elena, Nocturnes for the King of Naples, States of Desire: Travels in Gay America, The Joy of Gay Sex, and Caracole.

Chaz Bono is the child of Sonny Bono and Cher. In 1990 Star Magazine "outed" Bono as a lesbian. Since then Bono has become an outspoken advocate for lesbian and gay rights. Bono was the former spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, a national lesbian and gay political organization. Bono is now Entertainment Media Director for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

TV critic David Bianculli previews the "Ellen" episode that's been talked about for months: the one in which she comes out as a lesbian.

Sullivan was the editor of The New Republic for five years and the first openly gay editor of a national magazine. On leaving the position last year, he revealed he is HIV positive. His new book is "Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con" (Vintage Books).

A segment from the NPR show "This American Life". It's about a family broken apart by the son's homosexuality. The program, titled "Sissies" originally aired on T.A.L. 12/13/96. "This American Life" is produced at WBEZ in Chicago.

Vachon's newest movie is "Stonewall," a fictional account of the real life 1969 uprising by gays after police stormed the Stonewall Inn in New York's Greenwich Village. Her other film credits include a string of art house hits: "I Shot Andy Warhol," "Go Fish," "Kids."

Political advisor David Mixner. His new book, Stranger Among Friends, is a memoir of the 1992 Clinton campaign and life inside the Clinton White House. Mixner was pivotal in getting then-Governor Clinton the support of gay voters and was hopeful that the Democratic victory would expand civil rights to gays and lesbians. With Clinton’s watered-down support of gays in the military and recent rejection of gay marriage, Mixner has become disillusioned with the administration, and his book reflects this.

Crowley's works were recently re-published in a book, "3 Plays by Mart Crowley" (Alyson Publications). "The Boys in the Band" (1968), is the classic portrait of a gay artist living in New York and was one of the first plays to break the taboo on the portrayal of homosexuality. A revival of "The Boys in the Band" opened in June and the film version is being featured at the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival this summer.

Author Andrew Holleran. His latest novel, "The Beauty of Men" (William Morrow), is about a gay man in his late forties who is obsessed with the beauty of youth and his own mortality. At the same time, he harbors guilt for mourning the loss of his youth when so many around him are dying young. Holleran, whose real name is not known, has written two other novels under the pseudonym and is a frequent contributor to "Christopher Street" magazine.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "Transgender Warriors" by transgender activist Leslie Feinberg (Beacon)