I have read hundreds of books in my lifetime, but until I wrote one myself. I’d never understood why some authors felt the need to include long lists of people in their acknowledgments. But the truth is, without all these people. no book would ever get published, not because the author didn’t have great ideas, but because, especially in a nonfiction project such as this one, it takes more than vision to make a book.
Sherry. Eric, and I would like to thank the following volunteers and staff members who edited, typed, wrote letters, did research. proofread, fetched lunch, and helped out in other ways too numerous to mention: Al Baum, Megan Boler, Charlie Graham. Margaret Coins, Markham Hirt. Cullen Holliman, Jennifer Marshall (where are you?). Arwyn Moore. Ann Morse. Susan Regan. Joe Schubert, Jakki Spicer, Greg Walker. and most especially Steve Vezeris, to whom I owe more than can ever be repaid.
We need to thank the gay and lesbian booksellers and archivists around the country who shared with us their enormous wealth of knowledge, and provided contacts in communities and among people we might not otherwise have met. We would especially like to thank Sherry Emory at Charis Books in Atlanta: Jim Marks at Lambda Book Report in Washington. D.C.; Bill Walker at the Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California: Barbara Grier from Naiad Press: and Cal Gough from the Gay and Lesbian Task Force of the American Library Association.
I would also like to thank Jennie McKnight for her dedication to the project and her help in reminding me of the complexity and diversity of the gay and lesbian community. Don Romesburg, our assistant editor, gets credit for coming up with the title. I would also like to thank Katherine Forrest for her friendship and encouragement on this project.
The editors thank Will Roscoe, Jewelle Gomez, Colin Robinson, Dennis Medina, and Alina Ever for helping us with the original conception of what later became the chapter on identity.
There are dozens of people around the country who took the time to meet with us and the project staff, either in person or by phone, and they all deserve our thanks: Bill Benemann, Faygele Ben Miriam, Carrie Barnett, Michael Bronski, Harneen Chernow, Paula Ettlebrick, Joan Garner. Michael Goff, Trevor Halley. George Holdgrafer, John Howard, Arline Isaacson, Rupert Kinnard, Elizabeth Knowlton, Renée LaChance, Mev Miller, Sarah Petit, Howard Petrie, Cynthia Scott, Brett Shingledecker, Linda Stamps, Sarah Schulman, David and Francis Stocks, and Caitlyn Sullivan.
We want to thank Colleen Kapklein, our editor at Warner Books, for shaping what you see here and for having the patience to see this project through. The staff at Wright Creative Associates, Inc., who had the task of taking 1,200 pages of manuscript and turning it into a very readable book, were a delight to work with, especially Liz Noteware and Jeffrey Whitten.
Finally, it goes without saying that without our agent, Loretta Barrett, there would have been no book at all. I want to acknowledge her friendship, support, and unwavering belief that made it possible for this ambitious fantasy to become a reality.
—LYNN WITT