THE STONEWALL READER is an anthology that draws from the New York City Public Library’s archive of personal accounts, interviews, and publications by and about folks involved with the LGBTQ movement before, during, and after the Stonewall riots.

This book small, but it’s packed with invaluable information and insights from folks on the front lines of gay liberation. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about queer history and still there were events, groups, and people I didn’t know about featured here.

I really appreciated the broad scope of included voices. This is not a book that puts wealthy cis white men at the center of the story. It spotlights the contributions of people of color, drag queens and trans people. It also openly discusses racism and bigotry within the movement in a way we often try to erase, especially during Pride month.

This book showed me how much things have changed, but also how much they stay the same. No one today would be unable to find a gay bar in NYC, but it’s still hard for trans people to access healthcare. One step forward, two steps back.