Out of the Past, by Neil Miller

Miller, Niel. (2006). Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present. New York: Alyson Books. 678 pages.

Extensive collection of readings, including historical documents and excerpts from literature. Mostly focused on the United States, with some chapters on European topics, and one chapter on Russia and another on Japan. Includes a two-page piece "The Word Gay," written in the early 1950s ("... certainly by the nineteen-thirites it was the most common word in use among homosexuals themselves" [p. 328].)

Erik owns a copy. Available in the SF Public Library, which also has an earlier edition. We should have at least one copy for teacher use, and if we use enough of the readings we should buy a class set. (Available from Barnes & Noble.)

Becoming Visible, edited by Kevin Jennings

Jennings, Kevin (ed.). (1994). Becoming Visible. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications. 297 pages.

A little old, but an excellent reader for a high school LGBTQ course. Three sections:

• Pre-modern history: Ancient Greece and Rome, Ancient China, Berdache, women in early modern U.S.
  
• Emergence of the Modern Gay Movement: Almost exclusively U.S.
  
• Eighties and Nineties: Mostly about the U.S.
  

Very thoughtfully edited volume. Includes the historiographical issues as well as straight content. Each chapter includes a variety of short readings. Should definitely consider as a text for all students. It's out of print, but we could probably find enough used copies. Available at the SF Public Library.

The chapter "Gays around the Globe" is marginally useful. The Danish articles are way out of date; the Chinese articles from Washington Post are useless; the pieces by Indian lesbians and gay Muslim are better but very short.