Queers in History : The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgenders

K. Stern

Queers in History is a comprehensive biographical compendium of important historical and contemporary figures who were/are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. From Egyptian pharaohs, Catholic popes and Abraham Lincoln to Bishop Gene Robinson, Neil Patrick Harris and Angelina Jolie, Queers in History brings these figures, from their work to their sexuality, to life. The hundreds of people whose stories appear in this book are actors and actresses, writers and musicians, businessmen and politicians, scientists and soldiers. But this encyclopedia intended for gays and straights alike doesn't just report those details that get left out of the standard biographies; it reveals a picture of queer society and culture throughout recorded history, from the homosexual shudo tradition practiced by samurai in Japan to the modern struggles for equal rights in America. Sir Ian McKellen offers a foreword.