Smash the Church, Smash the State!: The Early Years of Gay Liberation

This anthology by former members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) captures the history and spirit of the revolutionary time just after Stonewall, when thousands came out of the closet to claim their sexuality, and when queer resistance coalesced into a turbulent, joyous liberation movement—one whose lasting influence would ultimately inform and profoundly shape the LGBT community of today.

Personal essays explore the philosophy and culture of the stridently anti-assimilationist GLF: the actions, demonstrations and marches; views on marriage, religion and gender; the drugs, orgies and communes; and GLF’s relationship to the hippies, the Black Panthers, the straight Left, the women’s movement, civil rights and the antiwar struggle.

The collection includes contributions from Martha Shelley, Cei Bell, Paola Bacchetta, Susan Stryker, Tom Ammiano, Nikos Diaman, Mark Segal, Barbara Ruth and Perry Brass.

© 2020 City Lights Publishers (Ebook): 9780872868427

Release date

Ebook: September 2, 2020