Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World 1890-1940

Chauncey argues that understandings of gay identity changed between the early and late 20th century, specifically from identities based partly on gender to identities based entirely on sexual orientation. Examine the veracity of this argument, using textual evidence and other sources.

Throughout the book, Chauncey relies on sources such as diaries, letters, and newspaper articles. Explore three such sources, like (but not limited to) Parker Tyler’s letter, the quotes from Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Caroline Ware’s sociological study of Greenwich Village, or Adam Clayton Powell’s sermon against gay sexuality in Harlem. What do these sources add to Chauncey’s arguments? Use textual evidence to examine this topic.

In the Preface for the anniversary edition, Chauncey claims that if he wrote Gay New York today, he would include a discussion of transgender history. Examine how this might have changed the analysis in Gay New York.

Choose one of the gay subcultures and identities (fairies, queers, wolves, gays, etc.) that Gay New York discusses. Examine the key characteristics of that group and what it reveals about the history of gay subculture in general.

Chauncey suggests throughout the book that what makes history are the actions of everyday people, not necessarily elite influences such as medical ideas and politicians. Explore the veracity of this claim, using other sources.

Write a fictional journal entry from the perspective of a gay man living a double life, either in the 1890-1939 period or in the time after the end of Prohibition. Address at least two key points from Gay New York.

Choose one of the other three categories of identity that Chauncey discusses in the book: race, gender, or class. How effectively does he incorporate that category into his argument as an intersecting factor? Imagine the life, for example, of an African American gay man, an effeminate or masculine gay man, or a middle-class gay man during the period Chauncey is describing.

Imagine an event like a drag ball, or an evening at a gay enclave such as Greenwich Village, Times Square, or Harlem, during the period the book discusses. Write a fictional eyewitness account.