When Brooklyn Was Queer

"[A] boisterous, motley new history . . . an entertaining and insightful chronicle . . . enhanced by original research." —The New York Times Book Review

Hugh Ryan's When Brooklyn Was Queer is a groundbreaking exploration of the LGBT history of Brooklyn, from the early days of Walt Whitman in the 1850s up through the queer women who worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II, and beyond. No other book, movie, or exhibition has ever told this sweeping story. Not only has Brooklyn always lived in the shadow of queer Manhattan neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and Harlem, but there has also been a systematic erasure of its queer history—a great forgetting.


Ryan is here to unearth that history for the first time. In intimate, evocative, moving prose he discusses in new light the fundamental questions of what history is, who tells it, and how we can only make sense of ourselves through its retelling; and shows how the formation of the Brooklyn we know today is inextricably linked to the stories of the incredible people who created its diverse neighborhoods and cultures. Through them, When Brooklyn Was Queer brings Brooklyn's queer past to life, and claims its place as a modern classic.


"A romantic, exquisite history of gay culture." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review


"A chronicle for the ages." —Harper's Bazaar

"A funny, tender and disturbing history of LGBTQ life." —The Guardian

"This evocative and nostalgic love song to the borough and its flamboyant past offers a valuable broadening of historical perspective." —Publishers Weekly

"A compelling, essential read." —Shelf Awareness

"Tender, compelling, fascinating." —Alexander Chee, award-winning author of The Queen of the Night