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Gay Is Good: The Life and Letters of Gay Rights Pioneer Franklin Kameny. Edited by MICHAEL G. LONG . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2014. Pp. 379. $36.95 (cloth).
What a joy to read-and in some cases reread-the letters of pioneer gay rights activist Frank Kameny. Thanks to Michael G. Long's terrific new edited collection, Gay Is Good, one can again hear the bombastic voice of this prolific letter writer speaking truth to power. Fired from the federal government for his homosexuality in 1957 during the lavender scare, Kameny began a lifelong campaign not only to change federal government policy but ultimately to challenge homophobia in American culture. The single most effective gay rights activist in American history, he was, according to Long, "a visionary and tactical genius" who remained active in the movement for over four decades and lived to be celebrated for his many accomplishments (333).
Over the seventeen-year period covered in these letters (1958-75), we witness Kameny transform from "a victim of the law" to "a vocal opponent of law" to finally "a voice of law" as he is appointed to the District of Columbia Commission on Human Rights (3). Put another way, we see him transform from a nerdy scientist confused by the government's interest in his sex life to a nuanced political tactician increasingly adept at delivering a persuasive message of gay and lesbian equality and empowerment. Through Kameny's letters we also see the LGBT movement transform. Before the movement became professionalized with a host of specialized organizations, Frank...