Discovering the LGBTQ+ Past in American History

Celebrate Pride Month with the library. 

For most of us, if we know anything about LGBTQ history, it’s a couple of quick facts about the Stonewall Riots and the fight for marriage equality – events that feel largely unrelated to most of the rest of the country’s history. In this talk, however, historian Daniel Hurewitz explores the essential role LGBTQ folks have played at key moments in the larger narrative of American history. Looking at three fascinating individuals from the last 150 years, he makes clear how LGBTQ people have long been vital actors at the heart of our national story.

Daniel Hurewitz is a historian and playwright who focuses on the LGBTQ past and teaches in the History Department at Hunter College. He has written two books: one is a set of walking tours that explore the history of LGBTQ New York, called “Stepping Out,” and the other examines the origins of American queer politics, entitled “Bohemian Los Angeles.” His plays often follow similar themes. His first, “Reclamation,” dramatizes the life of Bayard Rustin. More recently, “Nancy F***ing Reagan,” which premiered in Los Angeles in 2019,  looks at the lingering impact of the AIDS epidemic.

Registrants will receive an email with the Zoom link approximately 1 hour before the start of the event.