A review by thegayngelgabriel
Beyond Shame: Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality by Patrick Moore
3.0
I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. On the one hand, it does some important work and was able to get a lot of access to primary sources/interviews with really interesting gay people, whose voices are easily the highlight of the text. On the other hand, the book is more personal than it presents itself as being, and can sometimes be really lacking in nuance. It also spends more time on the "reclaiming" aspect of the title than on the actual history of radical gay sexuality, which it primarily considers as the pre-AIDS culture of the 70s. As a reading experience, it volleyed from delight to frustration constantly.
On a third hand, there are a few passages which, all by themselves have made this book a worthwhile read for me. For example, Like that makes it a four star book all by itself.
On a third hand, there are a few passages which, all by themselves have made this book a worthwhile read for me. For example,