Gay historians
About Making Gay History
Making Gay History is a 501(c)(3) organization organization that addresses the absence of substantive, in-depth LGBTQ+-inclusive American history from the public discourse and the classroom. By sharing the stories of those who helped a despised minority get its rightful place in society as full and equivalent citizens, we aim to encourage connection, pride, and solidarity within the Homosexual community—and to provide an entry aim for both allies and the general public to its largely hidden history.
Our History
In 1988, correspondent Eric Marcus got a phone contact from an editor friend at Harper & Row who asked if he’d consider writing an oral history of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement. Eric was working at CBS News at the time, but as an out homosexual man, he knew there were limits on his career there, so he left his occupation and took on the challenge. The resulting book, Making History, was published in 1992; the revised edition, titled Making Gay History, came out in 2002.
Meanwhile, the cassette tapes of the more than 100 interviews that Eric conducted for the book spent decades in storage until Eric donated them to the Recent York Public Library in 2008 w
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Learn MoreOur Mission
Making Gay History (MGH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that addresses the absence of substantive, in-depth LGBTQ+-inclusive American history from the public discourse and the classroom.
By sharing the stories of those who helped a despised minority take its rightful place in society as full and equal citizens, MGH aims to encourage connection, pride, and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community—and to provide an entry point for both allies and the general public to its largely disguised history.
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Become a MemberOur History
In 1988, journalist Eric Marcus got a phone call from an editor friend at Harper & Row who asked if he’d consider writing an oral history of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement. Eric was working at CBS News at the time, but as an out gay man, he knew there were limits on his career there, so he left
Centre for Queer History Researchers
Goldsmiths Centre for Queer History brings together an interdisciplinary and international society of scholars, students, activists and heritage professionals.
Primary page content
Dr Justin Bengry - Lecturer in History
Dr Justin Bengry is Director of the Centre for Queer History at Goldsmiths, where he convenes the world’s first MA in Queer History. He is a cultural historian of sexualities and the homosexual past focusing on twentieth-century Britain.
His central research is into relationships between homosexuality and capitalism but is also interested in current policy surrounding ‘gay pardons’ and queer local histories.
His work has been published in History Workshop Journal, Media History, and several edited collections. His monograph plan The Pink Pound: Capitalism and Homosexuality in Twentieth-Century Britain is under tighten with the University of Chicago Press.
Dr Isabell Dahms - Lecturer in Gender non-conforming History
Dr Isabell Dahms is a Lecturer in Queer History at Goldsmiths. Coming from a background in politics, critical theory and philosophy, her research looks at the intersections of medical, philoso
About
Leigh Pfeffer (they/them) is a great ol' queermo who can't (and won't) shut up about TV, comics, and the importance of visibility on-screen and off. They have a degree in European History and Theater, and wrote their thesis on ascetic medieval women and all the ways they messed with the patriarchy, and flirted for a long time with slapping on an archaeology degree as well, because why not! Now, they can usually be seen frantically running around craft stores working on cosplays, spending entirely way too much money at comic conventions, and muttering obscenities under breath at Adobe Premiere Pro while honing video editing skills. And usually consuming more Netflix than is probably healthy. Likes: seeing hopeful and typical stories reflected in media, new comic book Wednesdays, also tea, petting all the dogs, and their bed. Dislikes: cisheteronormativity, the patriarchy, and the word moist.
Twitter: @aparadoxinflux | Support me on Ko-Fi!
(Founding/Former Co-Host)
Gretchen Jones (she/her) is an unabashed and flamingly bisexual nerdy fangirl. She has a degree in Church History/Historical Theology from back when she was a