The Gender Book Club meets at the Network

The Gender Book Club meets the third Thursday of every month September through May at 7:00 PM -9:00 PM at the Network, 343 Atlas Ave S.E., Grand Rapids, MI. If you would like more information on the Gender Book Club send an email to [email protected].

“The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk” is the selection for the January 16 discussion, at 7 p.m. at The Network. Even if you haven not read the book, please join us for the discussion.

“She’s Not There” will be discussed at the February 20 Gender Book Club Meeting.  It’s a humorous, well written and moving story about a boy named James who becomes a girl named Jennifer.  The author Jennifer Finney Boylan is a New York Times bestselling author of 12 books.  Whether you identify with L or G or B or T you will enjoy this book.

THE MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET

Review by [email protected]

For those who weren’t around in the 1970’s or missed the 2008 movie “Milk” starring Sean Penn, let’s start with some basic history.  Harvey Milk was an openly  gay activist elected in 1978 to the City Council of San Francisco.

 During his first year in office, Milk and the Mayor of San Francisco, George Mosconi, were both shot and killed by another member of the City Council: a mentally unbalanced  retired cop named Dan White who had an animus toward gays.

Milk’s death made him a martyr throughout the gay community.  He certainly wasn’t the first man to be killed because he was gay, but at the time he was undoubtedly the most high profile.

This biography by journalist Randy Shilts shows us Harvey Milk with all his virtues together with his shortcomings and the contradictions in his character. 

Milk moved in 1972 to the Castro district of San Francisco.  In New York and Dallas he had been a  politically conservative, closeted, economic analyst for various large financial institutions.  He arrived in San Francisco right after the 1960’s Free Love period of the Haight-Asbury hippies and right before the 1980’s onset of the AIDS epidemic.

In The Castro, it was as if Harvey Milk had finally found his home. It was a time when gays were becoming more self-aware, open and assertive; and it was a place where promiscuity was almost an article of faith.

This book matter-of-factly shows us Milk’s boyfriends, lovers and his numerous tricks.  Even in his late 40’s he was still dating and hooking up with boys in their early 20’s.  It also shows us the unpleasant side of his character.  Milk could be petty, manipulative, petulant and sometimes even cruel.

More important it also shows the admirable traits that made Milk a close friend and role model to many people and an icon of the gay community.  He worked tirelessly, often to the point of exhaustion, for the gay cause as if there wasn’t enough time to do everything that had to be done. 

Milk had a sincere concern for the many troubled gays who found their way to The Castro during those years.   His main message wasn’t to the straight world, it was to gays and lesbians.  Like a prelude of todays’ “It Gets Better” campaign, back then Milk’s main message was “Give Them Hope.”

Among the many people interviewed in researching this book, the author spoke with Milk’s various boyfriends.  Even while relating some of the hurtful aspects of his conduct, they all none-the-less spoke fondly of him. Perhaps the reason is that Milk always tried to be honest with them, and with his friends and constituents, even when a lie or deception would have been more convenient.

The murder trial of Dan White resulted in a verdict of involuntary manslaughter for the killing of Milk and Mosconi.  With time off for good behavior, White would be released from prison in less than five years.

The verdict resulted in several days of rioting in San Francisco. Some of the rioting was by gays who were outraged by the verdict and sentence.  Some of the riots were by anti-gay police who, with their badges concealed to hide their identity, took out their anger and frustration by open, indiscriminate and vicious gay bashing of their own.

One of the most instructive aspects of this book is the overt, casual violence and hatred that gays and lesbians endured during Milk’s lifetime from all segments of political and cultural society.  After the White verdict many gays came to believe that hating homosexuals was a sold part of the all American ethos even in “The Gay Mecca” of San Francisco.

 Without being preachy about it, the author shows that hard-won gay and lesbian rights can quickly be lost in the face of opportunistic politicians, cultural and religious activists and an indifferent public. Although this book was published more than 30 years ago, much of it reads like today’s headlines.

There are many interesting facts and themes in this well researched biography.  Even if you haven’t yet read it, please join us on January 16 for the discussion.

BONUS RECOMMEND

After seeing the movie “Philomena” a couple weeks ago, I then read the book.  It’s the true story of an elderly Irish lady who seeks to locate the illegitimate son she gave away for adoption when she was a young girl. 

Most of the movie is about the lady.  Most of the book is about the son, and what an interesting guy he turns out to be.  He grows up with his adopted family in American.  He’s good looking, talented, smart and gay.

One of the interesting aspects of this true story is that the boy, Michael Hess, at a young age became chief legal counsel for the Republican National Committee during the Reagan and elder Bush administrations. 

One theme I found especially interesting is the interplay between the people with whom he worked, most of them supportive and some of whom were also gay, and the organization for which they worked which was anti-gay.

Another theme is Michael’s twin insecurities about being adopted and being gay and the angst and dysfunction that caused him.  This book is not a Gender Book Club selection but is well written and a surprisingly good read.