Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights [Paperback]

The first history of gay rights for teen readers, written by award-winning nonfiction author Ann Bausum.

That’s the Stonewall.
The Stonewall Inn.
Pay attention.
History walks through that door.

In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to jail, lost jobs, and were disowned by their families for being gay. Most doctors considered homosexuality a mental illness. There were few safe havens. The Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-run, filthy, overpriced bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, was one of them.

Police raids on gay bars happened regularly in this era. But one hot June night, when cops pounded on the door of the Stonewall, almost nothing went as planned. Tensions were high. The crowd refused to go away. Anger and frustration boiled over.

The raid became a riot.

The riot became a catalyst.

The catalyst triggered an explosive demand for gay rights.

A riveting exploration of the Stonewall Riots and the national Gay Rights movement that followed is eye-opening, unflinching, and inspiring.

Praise for Stonewall:

“Powerful, well-researched. . . An essential purchase” —School Library Journal, starred review 

Readers coming of age at a time when state after state is beginning to celebrate gay marriage will be astonished to return to a time when it was a crime for a man to wear a dress. Enlightening, inspiring, and moving. —Kirkus, starred review 

A powerful and moving account. . . Bausum's conversational storytelling whisks readers back to an era when homosexuality was criminalized  —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Bausum writes with the precision of a journalist; there is never any doubt as to lC6