First published 2000
Martel traces how France's homosexual communities evolved across three decades of social upheaval. The story begins in 1968 when gay liberation movements emerged alongside student protests and feminist activism. Early organizers built new institutions while navigating their complex relationship with women's liberation groups. By 1979, gay neighborhoods flourished in French cities as bars, bathhouses, and media outlets created spaces for community building. François Mitterrand's 1981 election brought supportive policies, but AIDS soon arrived from America. The epidemic shattered the carefree atmosphere as Michel Foucault died in 1984 and Rock Hudson's death made headlines in 1985. French researchers joined the search for causes while Aides mobilized to educate the public. The 1990s brought new contradictions as ACT-UP France adopted American tactics and safer sex campaigns spread. Seropositive individuals found acceptance within gay communities even as homosexuality gained broader social recognition. Martel shows how French attitudes toward sexuality differed from American approaches, shaped by France's history of not criminalizing homosexuality and its unique political landscape.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, lgbt, gay, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-change
Setting: France, United States
Period: 1968, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1990s
464 pages · Hardcover · Stanford University Press