Pride Reads: The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. The United States of America by Eric Cervini

An extensively researched, informative, and insightful history of the gay rights movement pre-Stonewall, with a focus on the life and advocacy of Frank Kameny.

The Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2020, 494 pages)

I read LGBTQIA+ themed books all year round, but I especially try to focus on them in June as a way to celebrate Pride Month. The Deviant’s War is one that I picked up at a work event last summer when Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures was giving copies away.

This is an extensively researched history of the gay rights movement pre-Stonewall told primarily through the life and activism of Frank Kameny. A brilliant Harvard trained astronomer and military veteran, Kameny, a gay man, had just earned his PhD in 1957 when he was arrested after an encounter with another man in a bathroom. This incident resulted in Kameny being denied a security clearance, which cost him his anticipated government job. And because Kameny was classified as a homosexual, he would be banned from most jobs for the rest of his life.

Instead, Kameny became one of the most outspoken advocates in the gay rights movement, fighting numerous legal battles on his and others' behalf and founding the Mattachine Society of Washington DC to protest discrimination against homosexuals.

(If you've read The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman, Frank's story -- and some, but not all -- of The Deviant's War will be familiar.)

While there were several dense sections (mostly related to the detailed recounting of numerous legal battles and cases), I found Cervini's book incredibly informative and insightful. With the court cases, it was appalling to read the unbelievably invasive and humiliating line of questioning endured about sexual preferences and acts.

It was interesting to read how the gay rights movement evolved in tactics and philosophy (Kameny insisted that his protestors wear suits and dresses to convey that they were respectable people, and even mandated the number of staples on signs) and took inspiration from the civil rights movement. Perhaps more attention could have been spent on that aspect and how shifting to radical action resulted in more awareness and, ultimately, change.

Altogether, this is a thorough read drawing from many sources, including Kameny's personal papers and correspondence, to present the reader with a comprehensive, in-depth and necessary understanding of LGBTQ history. 4 stars out of 5.