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Lesbian and Gay Studies
Vampires and Violets
Actor's Book of Gay and Lesbian
Palimpsest: A Memoir
Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star
Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969
Civil Wars: A Battle for Gay Marriage
Last Watch of the Night
Now That You Know
The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in America Since World War II (Harvest Book)
Civil Wars: The Battle for Gay Marriage
Familiar Faces Hidden Lives: The Story of Homosexual Men in America Today
Love Stories: Sex Between Men Before Homosexuality
American Gay (Worlds of Desire S.)
Gay Lives: Homosexual Autobiography from John Addington Symonds to Paul Monette
Take the Young Stranger by the Hand: Same-sex Relations and the YMCA (Chicago Series on Sexuality, History & Society)
Invented Moralities: Sexual Values in an Age of Uncertainty
Gay Fiction Speaks: Conversations with Gay Novelists (Between Men - Between Women: Lesbian & Gay Studies)
Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder
Village Elders
The Lesbian Family Life Cycle
Sita
Gay Seattle
Farm Boys: Lives of Gay Men from the Rural Midwest
Widescreen Dreams: Growing Up Gay at the Movies (Living Out: Gay & Lesbian Autobiographies)

Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction

Average customer rating:

excellent introduction, not only for media students!

Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction
D. Gauntlett
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Critical Readings: Media and Gender (Issues in Cultural and Media Studies)
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Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World
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Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media

ASIN: 0415189608

Book Description

Media, Gender and Identity is an accessible introduction to the relationship between media and gender identities today. It begins with an assessment of the different ways in which gender and identity have previously been studied and provides new ways for thinking about the media's influence on gender and sexuality.

David Gauntlett explores the gender landscape of contemporary media and draws on recent theories of identity negotiation and queer theory to understand the place of popular media in people's lives. Using a range of examples from films, television programs, and men's and women's magazines, Media, Gender and Identity shows how the media are used in the shaping of individual self-identity. The book is supported by a regularly updated website at: www.theoryhead.com/gender.

Customer Reviews:

excellent introduction, not only for media students!.......2002-10-30

There are dozens of books on popular culture and its relation to gender and identity issues out there, but this one is extraordinary: concise, up-to-date, and very readable. Mr Gauntlett wrote not only an introduction to the main theories of popular culture like Giddens, Foucault or queer theory - he illustrated all the discussed theoretical concepts with recent examples like movies, TV series, music, websites, and magazines.

If you are a student of media studies and always wanted to know how popular culture influences our lifestyles and our concepts of gender and identity - grab this book! It is well written and clearly structured with plenty of cross-references and suggestions for further reading. A unique feature is the accompanying website where additional material can be found.

Times Square Red, Times Square Blue (Sexual Cultures)

Average customer rating:

hey, reader! stop giving no-star ratings to this book!
Prelude and fugue
An intelligent, touching book
Sex and the City
Not worth it

Times Square Red, Times Square Blue (Sexual Cultures)
Samuel R. Delany
Manufacturer: New York University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Motion of Light in Water: Sex and Science Fiction Writing in the East Village

ASIN: 0814719198
Release Date: 1999-04-01

Amazon.com

An award-winning science fiction writer, esteemed professor of comparative literature at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and celebrated essayist and memoirist, Samuel Delany is one of America's keenest observers. He was also a longtime habitué of many of the sex theaters in New York City's Times Square, spending, by his own estimate, "thousands and thousands of hours" at the Capri, Variety Photoplays, the Eros, and the Venus. In the 1990s all of these theaters were shut down through new restrictive zoning laws, part of a combined effort by the Walt Disney Corporation and the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani to gentrify the area, replacing these seedily memorable institutions with antiseptic, innocuous architectural and cultural creations in the name of health safety. But as Delany reveals in his new book, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, the decision to clean up Times Square had little to do with public health, and everything to do with corporate greed.

In the two essays that comprise this eloquent, provocative book, Delany grieves for the loss of this strip of sexual release. Though he is careful not to romanticize or sentimentalize the peep shows and porn theaters, he does illuminate the way in which these venues crossed class, racial, and sexual orientation lines, providing a delightfully subversive utopia--and a microcosm of New York life. In the first essay, "Times Square Blue," Delany details his shared erotic and conversational encounters with working-class and homeless men in the theaters (which primarily showed straight porn films) and the genuine friendships that resulted; these immensely personal reminiscences also provide a social history of late-20th-century Times Square. Drawing on historical and theoretical resources in the second essay, "Three, Two, One, Contact: Times Square Red," Delany next builds a thoughtful and passionate argument against the gentrification of the area and the classist, characterless direction in which he sees New York heading. Read together, the essays of Times Square Red, Times Square Blue are both heartfelt homage to a beloved city and lament for a quirky vitality increasingly phased out by encroaching capitalism. --Kera Bolonik

Book Description

"Measured but emotional, illuminating but challenging." -The San Francisco Chronicle

"Remarkable." -Salon

"Essential." -The Nation

"In a provocative and persuasively argued cri de coeur against New York City's gentrification and the redevelopment of Times Square in the name of 'family values and safety,' acclaimed science fiction writer Delany proves himself a dazzlingly eloquent and original social commentator. . . . This bracing and well-calibrated blend of journalism, personal history and cultural criticism will challenge readers of every persuasion." -Publishers Weekly[starred review]

Both a celebration of the kaleidoscopic possibilities inherent in urban diversity and a eulogy for the plurality of human contact and stimulation squelched by the Times Square makeover." -Village Voice

If one street in America can claim to be the most infamous, it is surely 42nd Street. Between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, 42nd Street was once known for its peep shows, street corner hustlers and movie houses. Over the last two decades the notion of safety-from safe sex and safe neighborhoods, to safe cities and safe relationships-has overcome 42nd Street, giving rise to a Disney store, a children's theater, and large, neon-lit cafes. 42nd Street has, in effect, become a family tourist attraction for visitors from Berlin, Tokyo, Westchester, and New Jersey's suburbs. Samuel R. Delanysees a disappearance not only of the old Times Square, but of the complex social relationships that developed there: the points of contact between people of different classes and races in a public space. In Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, Delany tackles the question of why public restrooms, peepshows, and tree-filled parks are necessary to a city's physical and psychological landscape. He argues that starting in 1985, New York City criminalized peep shows and sex movie houses to clear the way for the rebuilding of Times Square. Delany's critique reveals how Times Square is being "renovated" behind the scrim of public safety while the stage is occupied by gentrification. Times Square Red, Times Square Blue paints a portrait of a society dismantling the institutions that promote communication between classes, and disguising its fears of cross-class contact as "family values." Unless we overcome our fears and claim our "community of contact," it is a picture that will be replayed in cities across America.

Customer Reviews:

hey, reader! stop giving no-star ratings to this book!.......2004-01-31

A confused "Amazon Customer" is repeatedly inserting blurbs from other periodicals into the "customer review" section of this page, AND failing to give "star" ratings to these inserts -- thus steadily dragging down the star-rating of this book. Since the blurbs are positive and have been repeatedly entered, I assume this "Amazon Customer" wants people to be interested in the book. Well, by failing to give a star rating, you're doing exactly the opposite! So either stop inserting blurbs altogether, or start giving them star ratings. This book is too cool to be muddied up by your confusion.

Prelude and fugue.......2000-03-11

Samuel Delaney has done the near imposible - he has written a book that is both titillating and informing. Dividing his cogent 21st Century social philosophy into two parts is at first disconcerting: Why are we reading (buying) a book that lets us in on the gossip of firsthand observation of Times Square New York, then in a page turn becomes a sophisticated academic treatise on our current social problems, in the City, and in a Country? Once past this mirage of a hurdle Delaney makes it patently clear why he chose this format. If we are introduced to a problem in a seductive manner, we pay closer attention to the bigger issues. This superb little book is illuminating in its exploration of where we are in our interpersonal relationships, our interplay with those around us (street, neighborhood, city, country), and our current drive to homogenize our world. Beautifully written, immensely readable, and a very important contribution to our social perceptions!

An intelligent, touching book.......2000-01-06

I always thought of Samuel Delaney as a writer of science fiction, my least favorite genre, so this is my first book by him. I was impressed and delighted. The worst thing I can say about it is that Mr. Delaney has a love of dependent clauses strung along inside comma-copious sentences that were sometimes hard to read. But he has awesome insights too, and compassion and wisdom lace every page. Makes me wish I was old enough to partake of that culture.

Sex and the City.......1999-11-24

A remarkable book, with both the frankest discussion of people's sexual desires and needs of any book I've read in years, and a compelling argument about the crucial role places like the old Times Square play in the life of a city. A paeon to America's cities and an intimate history of a culture being destroyed. Delany's masterful prose makes this brief book a treat to read. A great stocking stuffer for the intellectually and sexually adventurous.

Not worth it.......1999-11-20

This book promises to be a history and social commentary on Times Square's sleazy recent past. But in reality the book is told from a very narrow and restrictive point-of-view (. . . )There's nothing wrong with that except he practically ignores the fact that the West 42nd Street sex shops, peep shows, and massage parlors were also an attraction for heterosexual men. The reader will get painfully tired of reading endless descriptions of Delaney's sexual exploits among the XXX theater crowd. Additionally, the handfull of black and white photos of the empty storefronts of the "Forty Deuce" were taken after most of the shops had been driven out of business. Without good photos of the way 42nd Street used to be, the vibrant nature of the area is greatly diminished and Delaney's text doesn't make up for it. If you are looking for a social history of the old Times Square, something balanced and better illustrated, try Josh Alan Friedman's "Tales of Times Square" instead.

Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex

Average customer rating:

A poststrcuturalist deconstruction of Freud
Lacanian response
Major work from a major thinker that doesn't quite convince
colossal hybris
what?

Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex
Judith P. Butler
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (Routledge Classics)
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ASIN: 0415903661

Book Description

In Bodies That Matter, Judith Butler further develops her distinctive theory of gender by examining the workings of power at the most ``material'' dimensions of sex and sexuality. Deepening the inquiries she began in Gender Trouble, Butler offers an original reformulation of the materiality of bodies, examining how the power of heterosexual hegemony forms the ``matter'' of bodies, sex, and gender. Butler argues that power operates to constrain ``sex'' from the start, delimiting what counts as a viable sex. She offers a clarification of the notion of ``performativity'' introduced in Gender Trouble and explores the meaning of a citational politics. The text includes readings of Plato, Irigaray, Lacan, and Freud on the formation of materiality and bodily boundaries; ``Paris is Burning,'' Nella Larsen's ``Passing,'' and short stories by Willa Cather; along with a reconsideration of ``performativity'' and politics in feminist, queer, and radical democratic theory.

Customer Reviews:

A poststrcuturalist deconstruction of Freud.......2006-11-12

My initial reaction to reading Bodies that Matter by Judith Butler is that she writes from a very unique perspective and theoretical standpoint: post-structuralism. While she maybe considered one of the foremost theorists on gender and feminism, I find her writings extremely difficult to follow. She presents key concepts readily but in a langue that is indicative of the post-structuralist perspective, convoluted and overly wordy. More often than not I found myself loosing focus and having to reread numerous passages just to maintain basic understanding.
If language, as Butler suggests, is confined by the language used (Butler 91: 1993) then Butler is caged. Her critical deconstruction of Freud, which is the main focus of the text, is enlightening but far too complex within the language used for the critique. The concepts of Freudian psychology are not that difficult to understand when presented in a fashion that lends itself to understanding. Many of his theories are paramount to understanding basic anthropological concepts, not to mention human psychology.

Lacanian response.......2004-08-10

When I first read this book, I was pleased to see that Butler was returning to the problem of "gender performativity" she raised in *Gender Trouble.* I do believe that she was misunderstood as having claimed in *Gender Trouble* that the performativity constitutive of gender implies an infinite "plasticity" or freedom from the constraints of gender. Yet after reading *Bodies,* I felt that she evaded the question with which she opened the book: in what way can the "materiality" of anatomical sex be construed as a "discursive limit" to ideological constructions of gender without being understood as existing outside of discourse? I believe that Butler is ultimately indecisive about the status of the materiality of sex as either a pre- or extra-discursive "hard kernel of the Real" or (just like gender) another aspect of discourse. This is what leads to her very wrong-headed "critique" of the concept of "objet petit a" in the work of Slavoj Zizek and Jacques Lacan, very complex work which she oversimplifies and accuses of "reifying" or "essentializing" sex. Any serious student of Lacan knows that the a-object of fantasy is anything but "essential." It phantasmatically "dresses up" (to use Lacan's words in Seminar 14) a primordial psychic "hole," an *absence* or pure negativity where a "grounding" for discourse ought to be but is *lacking.* It's a shame that a book such as this which begins with a rigorous intellectual question degenerates into a sort of psychoanalytic dilettantism.

Major work from a major thinker that doesn't quite convince.......2003-10-12

The best thing about Judith Butler is that she is always willing to think through the consequences of her earlier writings. This book was a response to the criticism that emerged out of the groundbreaking conclusion to GENDER TROUBLE that argued for an understanding of gender as performative. Critics took Butler to task for arguing that gender is something that is simply an act of performative volition - one can "be" whatever one wants to be - irrespective of the materiality of the body. Here, Butler turns the tables (in a neat deconstructive move) by showing how this criticism presupposes the a priori existence of "bodies" and "matter" separate from discourse. Yet, after a brilliant introduction, the book becomes weighted down by its own psychoanalytic presuppositions and its tediously dense prose style. There is often no reason for Butler's writing to be as incomprehensible as it is, especially given the giant claims she's making about the nature of gender (other than to "perform" her writing's own indebtedness to Lacanian psychoanalysis and Althusserian critique).

Moreover, her work has been rightly faulted (partiucularly by Martha Nussbaum) by holding out an ideal of "subversion" that is something (in the terms of how she frames it) that ultimately DOES have very little to do with the ways sexual inequality is experienced outside of a somewhat narrow bourgeois American academic purview. But, finally, given the indisputable pervasiveness of Butler's ideas within the academy and without it (particularly in the ways in which sexuality is viewed today), the work is clearly a seminal text nonetheless.

colossal hybris.......2003-02-20

This book drove me almost entirely insane. The essay if you can call it that on the film Paris is Burning is simply incendiary to any person with a trace element of logic in their scalp. This essay argues that Venus Extravaganza was murdered for having been a transvestite. In the film itself it says she/he is killed -- but what the NYPD cannot solve Butler solves in the twinkling of a phrase -- she claims he/she is erased for playing with the sexual line. Not for burning a customer, or for simply being in a dangerous business. Whores are wiped out all day and night for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ever hear of the Green River Killer? Still Butler knows the motive. She just invents anything she wants, and calls it truth. She actually infers that anybody has the right to invent their own reality, and everybody else has to honor this reality. Only an extremely stupid person who has never had to work for a living could keep such a dumb idea down without puking. Do you mean if I think I'm a millionaire and walk into a bank, they will give me a million dollars? Do you mean if I have cellulite all over my legs and breasts that I can be a top model, I just have to really believe it? Do you mean that if I think I'm a genius, then others will agree? Feminist academics who've never worked, but who love to dramatize their own victimization, will love this book. Everybody else will simply puke from laughing so hard.

what?.......2003-01-25

I would have to agree with the reader that said this book was completely incomprehensible!

Average customer rating:

Dull, Dull and Dreadful
Much Ado about Nothing
By no means a serious study of GayHollywood, but a good read
Beef Jerky for the Brain
Deeper analysis of being gay in Hollywood

Open Secret: Gay Hollywood 1928-1998
David Ehrenstein
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688153178

Amazon.com

If David Ehrenstein's Open Secret says that somebody is gay, you can safely assume that he or she is (which is why the chapter on Tom Cruise reveals nothing more than reasons why people believe--or want to believe--he might be gay). Interviews with contemporary "out" stars, writers, and studio execs are balanced against the reminiscences of those who spent Tinseltown's golden age in the closet. This reveals how open Hollywood's tolerance of its gay and lesbian members has become, but it also shows the lack of similar progress in how the press deals with potential celebrity queerness. There isn't much difference, for example, between the scandal sheet Confidential's 1955 exposé of Tab Hunter's bust at a "pajama party ... for the boys" and the 1997 "Kevin Spacey Has a Secret" cover story in the ostensibly more respectable Esquire.

Open Secret flits from a visit to the set of the Ian McKellen-Brendan Fraser film Father of Frankenstein (based on the novel by Christopher Bram) to an analysis of Ellen DeGeneres's protracted coming-out process, from an overview of the impact of AIDS on the entertainment industry to the story of how Gus Van Sant almost made a movie of Randy Shilts's The Mayor of Castro Street. But the intersection of queer sexuality and Hollywood admittedly covers a lot of territory, and Ehrenstein does an admirable job of providing an overview. One bit of advice: skip over the very brief prologue, which tries a bit too hard to convince readers of the book's seriousness, and allow the informative and entertaining stories here to speak for themselves. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

Hollywood isn't just a place or an industry -- it's a fantasy that unfolds in the minds of moviegoers the world over. And talking about "who's gay in Hollywood" has always been the most socially acceptable way of talking about homosexuality period.But times have changed for gays and lesbians inside Hollywood and in the culture at large. Ellen DeGeneres "came out" to a world quite different from the one that allowed Marlene Dietrich to "stay in." And while Rupert Everett may be called "the gay Cary Grant," the real Cary Grant would never have described himself as gay -- even though he was.So what has it meant to be gay in Hollywood, not just as a star but behind the scenes as well? How homosexual actors and actresses came to define straight America's sexual self-image is only one of the paradoxical and provocative questions explored in Open Secret, a revealing cultural chronicle of gay Hollywood. From the silent era to the age of the multiplex and beyond, homosexuality has been a fact of life in the film industry, and scores of important personalities -- stars, writers, directors, producers -- have enjoyed long and spectacular careers on both sides of the camera, despite mainstream America's professed bias against gays.

Part social history and part Tinseltown expose, this entertaining book spans seventy years, painting knowing and vivid portraits of many of Hollywood's foremost gays and lesbians, often in the words of eyewitnesses or the principals themselves. Veteran entertainment journalist David Ehrenstein traces the gradual transformation from an era when gays and lesbians had no public profile in "polite" society to the modern era when many top entertainment figures are not merely comfortable with their sexuality but actually celebrate it -- and are in turn celebrated for it. In the process, he presents a unique reflection of American society as a whole and its ever-changing attitudes and values.

Customer Reviews:

Dull, Dull and Dreadful.......2005-11-12

This book has no life to it---I mean the writing--it is redundant, heavy, lackluster. Reads like a boring college research textbook. The author repeats and repeats and is consumed and obsessed with Ellen Degeneres over and over again. It is not like a book, but an overblown article. There is nothing new in the book--it is a historical account of gay and lesbians in Hollywood and boring as can be. Sorry I bought it but am thankful I got a used copy and did not pay much. I could hardly wait to finish it to throw it out as I did not even want to keep it. Forget this dull and dreadful book!

Much Ado about Nothing.......2003-03-05

It seems odd that this book, with its good intentions, would just be so unsatisfying as a read. You almost get the feeling that the author is on the outside of Hollywood looking in. He seems to be obsessed with Ellen. The book has a certain bitterness to it that doesn't play well.

I couldn't in all honesty recommend purchasing this book. Though if you find it at a public library, might be worth flipping through- but not checking out.

By no means a serious study of GayHollywood, but a good read.......2000-03-25

...nonetheless. This book is not a distasteful one unlike a vast majority of books about gays in Hollywood. It is also quite entertaining and should be regarded only as such: an entertaining book on a summer's day... In this case it does not really matter, whether the material is credible or not. If you do not take what you read TOO SERIOUSLY, then you will enjoy this book. If you want some serious study about gay actors, then look some place else for it.

Beef Jerky for the Brain.......1999-07-13

As one reader comments, this book is "a must for any serious Hollywood History library." Yes--in the same sense that the complete works of Ed Wood belong in every comprehensive home video collection.

Deeper analysis of being gay in Hollywood.......1999-06-18

If you want gossip, get a tabloid. If you'd rather read a thoughtful analysis of "gay Hollywood" in a social/historical context, get this book. This is not a list of who's gay and who isn't; Ehrenstein has chosen to write about what happened (and happens) to gays who are part of the Hollywood machine. He demonstrates, through first-person interviews and anecdotal accounts, in what ways Hollywood--the studios, the executives, the media, the audience--is and is not accepting of homosexuals. Not everyone in his book is famous, or a big time movie star, but they all have something to say or show about the difference between the gay Hollywood of the Cary Grant and Rock Hudson era and the gay Hollywood of the Ellen Degeneres and Tom Cruise era.

Ehrenstein's skill is in keeping the history together, so that James Whale's story is appropriately connected to the "Gods and Monsters" story, but each stands on its own as well. He has also taken care in choosing what to cover in this book. It would be impossible to write the entire history of Gay Hollywood in one book; and Ehrenstein has selected only certain aspects of that history and examined them in depth rather than touch only the surface of too many things.

What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality

Average customer rating:

What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality
Tip of the iceberg in the scholarly research in the subject
Neither thorough nor honest
What the TANAKH and NT say:
Excellent Scholarship on Matters Causing Much Pain to Christians

What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality
Daniel A. Helminiak
Manufacturer: Alamo Square Distributors
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Church and the Homosexual

ASIN: 188636009X

Customer Reviews:

What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality.......2006-07-24

Good book, packaging ect.. good. Shipping a pain had to be there to sign for a $10.00 book. Would have been easier to order through Barnes and Noble.

Tip of the iceberg in the scholarly research in the subject.......2006-02-25

Prejudice and downright loathing for homosexuals must have inspired the writing of this book. It is a sad realization, in fact, reality, that Bible religion plays a pillar role in allowing the persecution to happen. Sexuality, at least in the regard of showing affection for one another, should be detached from any religious judgment because it is the core of human experience in which person gets emotionally close to another person and commits passionately to the person. Granted the affection is genuine and mutual, it should be recognized and honored regardless of sex. Embracing this firm belief Helminiak thrives to study, through a historically critical perspective, the Bible's stand on the issue.

The hinge must lies in how the Bible is being read. According to Helminiak, the Bible supplies no basis for the condemnation of homosexuality. Why should God condemn homosexuality if all of us are part of God's inscrutable and loving plan for us? Moreover mounting scientific evidence shows that homosexuality is not a choice. There is no credible evidence that sexual orientation can be changed or convincing argument that it should be.

The biblical scholarship has overturned inveterate beliefs that over the years the church has so meticulously imbued to me through selective use of scriptures. Popular culture, social taboo, and customs have stamped the seal of approval to these beliefs. But looking back at these teachings, they are nothing more than customs being adopted as the law. Helminiak's position is forthright and is fueled by judicious assessment of historical-critical research. The Bible itself takes no direct stand on the morality of homogenital acts or on the morality of gay and lesbian relationships. Detailed study of language and translation confides that it makes no blanket condemnation of homogenital acts and even less of homosexuality. It is indifferent to homosexuality in itself.

Neither thorough nor honest.......2006-02-07

As is obvious from his title, Mr. Helminiak believes that he is able to provide special insight regarding Biblical teaching on homosexuality. But he makes clear from the beginning that he does not really care what the Bible says: "As a Roman Catholic - and more importantly, a thinking person - I do not presume the Bible has the last word on sexual ethics" (19). He approaches the Biblical text as though it had no Divine origin whatsoever. He relegates God's description of homosexuality as "abomination" (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; cf. Prov. 6:16) to the Israelites' personal qualms about such activity: "The early Israelites considered it unclean. They thought it was dirty. They prohibited it not because it was wrong in itself but because it offended their religious worldview" (63). Of course, God had no problems with offending the Israelites' religious worldview (cf. Ex. 32). Helminiak will deny authorship of a passage if it conflicts with his prejudice. In asserting that the sin of Sodom was actually "inhospitality," he cites a few passages (including the non-canonical Book of Wisdom) and concludes "The Bible often uses Sodom as an example of the worst sinfulness, but the concern is NEVER simply sexual acts" (49). But in this section, Helminiak fails even to consider Jude 7, which establishes beyond a shadow of a doubt that the sin and punishment of Sodom concerned sexual sins.

Obviously, I cannot endorse a book that violates Biblical teaching. But for one looking to justify what the Bible clearly condemns, perhaps a better effort is made elsewhere.

What the TANAKH and NT say:.......2005-12-10

Again we have some Christians trying to escape biblical and moral requirements. We have a problem with religion today in that many want to be a Catholic for example but can not comply with the rules. Each religion does have a moral path or rules of engagement.

According to Lev. 18 it is a blasphemy for a man to lay with another man. Jesus himself does not directly say that homosexuality is wrong but he does not attack most sin. He does however make it clear to "keep my fathers laws". There are 613 LAWS from G_d (the father) and Lev 18 is of course is part of them. Christians seem to be occupied with homosexuality though there are many sins just as bad under the eyes of G_D.

Christians have historically denied the commandment of Jesus to keep his fathers laws and those two in Mark 12 28-32 and thus by history or culture refuse most of them. Examples of this are: Exodus 20 4th comm. SABBATH, Kosher food laws and many more. Its as though Christianity was allowed (so it would seem) to pick and choose what G_d wanted.

Jews look at this issue like this: The laws were given to the "chosen" and therefore Gentiles must only follow the 7 laws of Noah in Genesis 9. The laws for the Gentiles (NOAH was the first GOYEM-Gentile) These by the way are paraphrased in Mathew. So, to a JEW its fine for a Christian to be gay as the laws of NOAH do not state homosexuality as a sin.

Now, there are Catholics and other denominations of Christianity who over the course of history have made sure that certain sins are still treated as such. This is partly the influence of Paul and the Nicean Council. If one is a Catholic and is also a homosexual then by the doctrine of this faith you must either repent or leave the faith. I dont understand why so many try to justify loop holes. If ones son for example is gay and they are Catholic or for that matter Orthodox Jew then they must be forgiven but...they can not be of that faith. Rules of engagment. I am a adult male and can not join the girl scouts becuase of my age and gender. Religions have rules too and if you are unable to follow them by the "book" then try one you can. Its very simple. Besides, why belong to a faith or any group that goes against your lifestyle? Its like a JEW wanting to be a member of the KKK or a gay man wanting to be Catholic. Rules are rules.

Excellent Scholarship on Matters Causing Much Pain to Christians.......2005-12-09

This book is clearly written, well documented, and provides a detailed examination of all passages in the bible which appear to refer to homosexuality. It also contains important reflections on the nature of translation, interpretation, and changing views in society and how they influence our approach to the perceived law of God. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is concerned with homosexuality and Christianity. Even the most old fashioned fundamentalist will find things here to ponder. In a day and age when so many gay Christians are suffering persecution, inspite of their ardent desire to be united with the church, we owe it to ourselves to become informed on these topics. There is much scholarly debate on the subject, and we ought to seek knowledge in this area for our sake and the sake of all God's children. This book is an excellent start and a very thorough overview of the field.

Damron 2007 Men's Travel Guide (Damron Men's Travel Guide)

Average customer rating:

Damron 2007 Men's Travel Guide (Damron Men's Travel Guide) by Gina M. Gatta
little disappointed
For the Road Warrior
Disappointing
The travel guide for men

Damron 2007 Men's Travel Guide (Damron Men's Travel Guide)

Manufacturer: Damron Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0929435583

Customer Reviews:

Damron 2007 Men's Travel Guide (Damron Men's Travel Guide) by Gina M. Gatta.......2007-05-27

Everything Great!

little disappointed.......2007-05-13

Was disappointed on some missing listings - even ones that had been around for years. But overall is helpful

For the Road Warrior.......2007-05-10

Any man who travels a lot for work will enjoy this book, which will help him have fun in cities he's unfamiliar with.

Disappointing.......2007-04-05

Listings for destinations of interest to me in the Caribbean were nearly non-existent. Those that were in the book were outdated, some by years. Well-established locations and businesses with which I am familiar were not included. I have to assume the same level of omission and inaccuracy occurs throughout the guide and I wouldn't plan my travel based on this resource.

The travel guide for men.......2007-02-25

This guide is perfect for the man with a road warrior type job. Very up to date. Clearly written and a great way to find things to do when you have downtime in a city you are not that familar with. Great even for those cities not known for their gay friendliness!

Average customer rating:

Come to the well!

The Queer Bible Commentary

Manufacturer: SCM Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Queer Commentary and the Hebrew Bible (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. Supplement Series, 334)
TAKE BACK THE WORD - A QUEER READING OF THE BIBLE
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Sex and the Single Savior: Gender and Sexuality in Biblical Interpretation
Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church

ASIN: 0334040213

Product Description

The Queer Bible Commentary brings together the work of several scholars and pastors known for their interest in the areas of gender, sexuality and Biblical studies. Rather than a verse-by-verse analysis, typical of more traditional commentaries, contributors to this volume focus specifically upon those portions of the book that have particular relevance for readers interested in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues such as the construction of gender and sexuality, the reification of heterosexuality, the question of lesbian and gay ancestry within the Bible, the transgendered voices of the prophets, the use of the Bible in contemporary political, socio-economic and religious spheres and the impact upon lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Accordingly, the commentary raises new questions and re-directs more traditional questions in fresh and innovative ways, offering new angles of approach. This comprehensive, cutting-edge commentary is prefaced by an introductory essay by Ronald E Long. Contributors draw on feminist, queer, deconstructionist, utopian theories, the social sciences and historical-critical discourses. The focus is both how reading from lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender perspectives affect the reading and interpretation of biblical texts and how biblical texts have and do affect lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender communities. The commentary includes an extensive bibliography that directs the reader to a full range of literature relating to queer interpretation of scripture.

Customer Reviews:

Come to the well! .......2007-05-13

I have written two exegetical papers using the QBC. It's easy to use, clearly written and insightful. Liberating, thoughful and edgy enough! More!!!

Transgender Warriors : Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman

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Transgender Warriors
The best text book I've ever read
Liberation Manifesto
A Wide-Ranging Informative Work
Here's to Feinberg's Transgendering History Quest

Transgender Warriors : Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman
Leslie Feinberg
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807079413

Amazon.com

Leslie Feinberg has been a leader in the transgender rights movement as long as such a movement has existed. This book is both deeply personal and widely researched. Feinberg examines perceptions of the body, the status of clothing, and the structures of societies that welcome or are threatened by gender variance. The portrait gallery that closes the book contains photographs and capsule biographies of contemporary transgendered people.

Book Description

A fascinating personal journey through history by one of the most prominent transgender activists today. With a New Afterword

Customer Reviews:

Transgender Warriors.......2006-02-24

Although the sections of this book dealing with contemporary issues are reasonably accurate, many historians have pointed out that the history section desperately needed to have been vetted by someone who studies the subject.
Among the numerous errors, the section on Joan of Arc contains more than the usual quota:
1) The author was unaware of a number of basic points concerning the cross-dressing issue. Eyewitness accounts contain quotations from Joan herself stating that she continued wearing a specific type of soldiers' clothing in prison because its securely-fastened pants and tunic offered the only protection she had against attempted rape - the Condemnation transcript itself admits that this clothing was secured with dozens of cords attaching both layers of pants to the tunic. Her motive was necessity, as many of the tribunal members later confirmed. These men also confirmed that she was induced into a "relapse" by a regimen of increased rape attempts followed by the simple expedient of leaving her nothing else to wear but the male outfit. These are basic points which were overlooked by this book, whose version has little in common with history.
2) She was not a pagan. Eyewitness accounts prove this, as do extant letters which Joan dictated to scribes during her military campaigns: these contain phrases such as "King Jesus, King of Heaven and of all the world, my rightful and sovereign Lord". The names "Jesus, Mary" generally serve as the heading. One letter, dated 23 March 1430, orders a group called the Hussites to "return to the Catholic faith" or else she will lead a crusading army against them. Her trial, as we know from English government records and the later statements of the tribunal members, was deliberately rigged by the English in order to convict her for the purposes of revenge, rather than from a sincere belief that she held heretical views.
3) The Marxist and Feminist issues are anachronisms which additionally involve some ironies. Her stated and accomplished goal, after all, was to place her king on his throne, not to overthrow either the aristocracy nor the patriarchy. None of her many recorded statements imply feminist beliefs, nor anything equivalent to Marxism.

There are other books which document genuine cases of transgenderism in history. This is not one of them, and this portion of the book regrettably does a disservice to a field which has far too often been harmed by invalid or poor scholarship.

The best text book I've ever read.......2005-09-18

This book was refreshingly factual and frank. I was blown away by what I read about the history of the trans person - especially Joan of Arc! I am a big fan of this book because it has provided me with enough valuable backup material for my thesis. I have searched high and low for supporting quotes such as those found in Feinberg's writing. BUY THIS BOOK - it will end up like mine, with notes written all over every page and lots of folded pages, kept next to the bed for reading regularly.

Liberation Manifesto.......2004-03-16

This is a manifesto of transgender liberation. It will be remembered and read for many years to come. As a LGBT person, it really touched me. Some societies have honored us and some have murdered us. It is time for us to rise up and say enough. I will re-read this book.

A Wide-Ranging Informative Work.......2004-03-04

Leslie Feinberg has created a fascinating compilation of transgender history.

This book "works" in that it engages the reader and stimulates thought, questioning and debate. Even the highly negative reviews that appear here reinforce this. The review authors are inflamed by a book of substance, one which presents a consistent theoretical underpinning as it provides a wealth of historical data.

A lot of political statements are made on all sides about the natural order of things. Look at the debate over same-sex marriage in which the debate is framed in terms of traditional values.

Feinberg, in this work, does the field of gender studies a great service in expanding our awareness of just how much diversity is historically encompassed in our common tradition.

Read this book, then reflect, then challenge both it and yourself.

Here's to Feinberg's Transgendering History Quest.......2003-02-05

The Stonewall frontliner offers an engaging expedition back through the past into the present through critical transgender-centering reinterpretations of familiar and unfamiliar stories. Hir re-reading of Joan of Arc from a transgender socialist feminist perspective is intriguing, motivating, and delightful. Feinberg is able to achieve visibility for heterosexistly obscured transgender moments and people across a lengthy span of time and geography.

Braiding hir own narrative into the work provides a reflexive empassioned appeal to liberation workers that renews spirits to confront gender, desire, and sexed supremacy with a certain pride in transgender revolutionary work. The blend of freshly unearthed truths, experiential revelations, and proffers for theory work well for a feminist readership.

Average customer rating:

Always a good read
Super book
A monumental achievement
excellent queer/glbt studies/theory reader

The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader
Henry Abelove
Manufacturer: TF-ROUTL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415905192

Book Description

The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader is the biggest and most comprehensive multi-disciplinary anthology of critical work in lesbian/gay studies.

Comprising scholarship, criticism, commentary, and political analysis, lesbian/gay studies is one of the fastest growing fields in contemporary thought. Its influence is changing the shape of every branch of learning in the humanities and social sciences.

Bringing together forty-two groundbreaking essays--many of them already classics--this collection provides a much-needed introduction to the contemporary state of lesbian/gay studies, extensively illustrating the range, scope, diversity, appeal, and power of the work currently being done in the field. Featuring essays by such prominent scholars as Judith Butler, John D'Emilio, Kobena Mercer, Adrienne Rich, Gayle Rubin, and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader explores a multitude of sexual, ethnic, racial, and socio-economic experiences.

Ranging across disciplines including history, literature, critical theory, cultural studies, African American studies, ethnic studies, sociology, anthropology, psychology, classics, and philosophy, this anthology traces the inscription of sexual meanings in all forms of cultural expression. Representing the best and most significant English language work in the field, The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader addresses topics such as butch-fem roles, the cultural construction of gender, lesbian separatism, feminist theory, AIDS, safe-sex education, colonialism, S/M, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, children's books, black nationalism, popular films, Susan Sontag, the closet, homophobia, Freud, Sappho, the media, the hijras of India, Robert Mapplethorpe, and the politics of representation. It also contains an extensive bibliographical essay which will provide readers with an invaluable guide to further reading.

In the tradition of Routledge's Cultural Studies and Unequal Sisters, The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader marks a critical moment in the development of the field. It will be essential reading for anyone--gay or straight--interested in the history of sexuality, sexual politics, and gender studies.

Contributors: Henry Abelove, Tomas Almaguer, Ana Maria Alonso, Michele Barale, Judith Butler, Sue-Ellen Case, Danae Clark, Douglas Crimp, Teresa de Lauretis, John D'Emilio, Jonathan Dollimore, Lee Edelman, Marilyn Frye, Charlotte Furth, Marjorie Garber, Stuart Hall, David Halperin, Phillip Brian Harper, Gloria T. Hull, Maria Teresa Koreck, Audre Lorde, Biddy Martin, Deborah E. McDowell, Kobena Mercer, Richard Meyer, D. A. Miller, Serena Nanda, Esther Newton, Cindy Patton, Adrienne Rich, Gayle Rubin, Joan W. Scott, Daniel L. Selden, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Barbara Smith, Catharine R. Stimpson, Sasha Torres, Martha Vicinus, Simon Watney, Harriet Whitehead, John J. Winkler, Monique Wittig, and Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano.

Customer Reviews:

Always a good read.......2006-07-29

So many good reviews fo this book already, I will only jump in to say that this book would be awesome for any collection, you can put it ddown for weeks, months, and read it whenever you like.

Super book.......2006-01-30

A well rounded book that should be on your shelf. The author has done made a beautiful compilation of material related to the topic. This is a ground breaking work and strongly recommended.

A monumental achievement.......2000-10-03

This collection was the first of its kind when it came out in 1993. The three editors, all longtime advocates of queer scholarship, put together the Reader as an attempt to encourage new classes in queer studies. It was a resounding success, winning both a Lambda Literary award and notably being banned by Canadian customs.

The contributors to this volume are all well-respected names in their fields: John D'Emilio, Eve Sedgwick, Adrienne Rich, Judith Butler, Audre Lorde, and the editors themselves. There is impressive attention to including both people of color and strong lesbian voices, something many other similar collections have problems with.

The Reader is an excellent introduction to the field, although it is an academic text and can be a bit daunting for some. It works wonderfully for the purpose it was designed for, as a text for introductory classes. For those already immersed in the field, you obviously already own the book.

excellent queer/glbt studies/theory reader.......1998-11-07

For an excellent compilation of essays, papers, and writings on what we now call "Queer/Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Studies," this is your book. It has practically everything, including works by people of color. If you want to get academic and intellectual, here's where you might start. If you are already academic and intellectual, this book will be a welcome addition to your library. I read many of the pieces in this book for a class in college, and they were all highly thought-provoking and important. I consider this book to be one of the basic, necessary groundstones in my library of queer/lgbt studies books and readings. Thank god for Henry Abelove for putting this together!

Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe (Canto)

Average customer rating:

A Quick Read

Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe (Canto)
Ian Watt
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521480116

Book Description

In Myths of Modern Individualism, the renowned critic Ian Watt treats Don Juan, Don Quixote, Faust, and Robinson Crusoe as "individualists," pursuing their own views of what they should be. The original Counter Reformation myths saw the individualism of Don Juan, Don Quixote, and Faust as a problem to be quelled by death or mockery. However, the Romantic period, a time more favorably disposed toward myth, saw their dissension not as unacceptable disorder, but rather as admirable and heroic behavior. This incisive study traces attitudes toward these figures and the Romantic product Robinson Crusoe from disapproval to awe to skepticism, examining them as icons of such problems as solitude, narcissism, and the claims of the self versus the claims of the community. Pointedly, none of these figures marries or has a lasting relationship, save for the selfless devotion of a single male servant. Watt argues that the myths of Don Juan, Don Quixote, Faust, and Robinson Crusoe remain the distinctive products of Western society, embodying the most basic values of modern culture.

Customer Reviews:

A Quick Read.......2000-04-10

Watt examines four famous characters from Western literature who have been reincarnated numerous times: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, and Robinson Crusoe. He treats each individually in the first half of the book, and makes comparisions and discusses recent reworkings in the second half. The depth and breadth of Watt's knowledge of his four myths is readily apparent. Still, though, it's an easy read, intended perhaps for the non-expert. Even if you haven't read the original works yourself, it's easy to follow. The book hints at provocative issues in the creation and meaning of myth as well as "individualism," though Watt's theoretical musings aren't as rewarding or complete as his close analysis of the four figures. The work of history and translation on the transformation of myth is a fascinating subject, but Watt's book suggests far more questions than it answers.

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