On June 28 1969, around one o’clock in the morning, New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village, New York …
Rainbow Revolutions is a new book for older children and teenagers that charts the rise of the LGBTQ+ rights movement during the 20th century and celebrates the individuals who stood up and demanded recognition. It is written by University of Bristol anthropologist and OutStories Bristol trustee Jamie Lawson.
The book covers the Stonewall Riots in 1969, the impassioned speeches of activists Karl Ulrichs and Audre Lorde, the birth of Pride, and the fabulous New York ballroom scene of the 70s and 80s made famous by Ryan Murphy’s smash hit TV series Pose.
Jamie Lawson says:
“As an anthropologist working with queer communities, I take seriously and am passionate about the roles of history and politics in modern LGBTQ+ identities.
“The opportunity to explain to a young audience the historical origins not only of oppression against queer people, but also queer radical activism itself was extremely exciting, and seeing it published is quite remarkable.
“While the book is written for everyone, I thought a lot during its writing about my young, queer readers: The mainstream, cis-het world often tries to pretend that LGBTQ+ identities sprung up, recently and out of nowhere – being able to connect young queer people to their own history is an important and deeply humbling experience.”
Rainbow Revolutions by Jamie Lawson and illustrated by Eve Lloyd Knight is published by Wren & Rook / Hachette Children’s Group.