Correcting Public Perception
In this book Chauncey is determined to correct some commonly accepted narratives about the LGBTQ community in New York City during the 20the century. The premise of the entire book is that NYC has always had a thriving gay community, long before the Stonewall riots, with which the release of the book has been associated. First off, Chauncey rejects the concept that most gay men during and after WWII isolated themselves from society. While many gay men did retreat to the safety of their homes, they were largely accepted. As Chauncey outlines, boundaries for acceptable behavior and dress were more fluid during the 1940s-50s. Another myth which the author rejects is the depiction of gay men which has appeared in art during the past century. These depictions are offensive, usually representing these men like pedophiles and sexual deviants. Through all of these arguments, however, Chauncey's primary purpose is to combat misperception and to provide people with historically relevant evidence.
Eyewitness Testimony
Because of his extensive research, Chauncey prefers to include direct references to historical evidence in the text of the book. He's writing with the intent to educate rather than to interpret, so he inserts lengthy excerpts from the research which he has compiled. Of all the data presented, the eyewitness testimonies stand out most. They are written or verbal accounts of the interactions of real people in NYC during the eras in question. For example, a government employee with the FDA in 1939 recalls an interaction with a drag queen and how much he enjoyed meeting her, using her preferred pronouns. Through accounts like these, Chauncey attempts to explain how historically accepted the LGBTQ community has been in New York.
Sociological Development
Not only does Chauncey write about historical opinion of LGBTQ members of the community in NYC, but he also traces the various sociological developments in relationship to this community. He includes information in a chronological order, literally building up to the present moment. While boundaries between homosexual and heterosexual identity were fluid for many decades, they became more concrete with the arrival of the sexual revolution in the 1960s. Apparently the radical behavior of the free love movement led to a challenge to previously open-mindedness. While the LGBTQ community previously offered no threat to social stability, public perception of the community changed with the arrival of the hippies. In this manner, Chauncey discusses the arbitrary nature of prejudice and oppression of the minority in the city.
