The Hub of the Gay Universe: An LGBTQ History of Boston, Provincetown, and Beyond
The Hub of the Gay Universe: An LGBTQ History of Boston, Provincetown, and Beyond
By Russ Lopez
Released March 11, 2019
This LGBTQ history of Boston and Provincetown begins with the coming of Europeans to Massachusetts in 1620 and ends with the victory over the referendum to overturn transgender rights in 2018. It includes the many high points of these four hundred years: the torrid romances of nineteenth century actress Charlotte Cushman, the glamorous nightlife of 1950s Boston, the wild times of 1970s Provincetown, and the great outpouring of happiness that accompanied the country’s first same-sex marriages. And it describes the tragedies: murders of trans women and gay men, the terrible waves of repression of the 1920s, and the devastation of the AIDS years. It documents how LGBTQ people have been present in the region at least since the coming of Europeans and how LGBTQ people had developed a political consciousness and were advocating for their rights well over a century before Stonewall. This is an important book for anyone who has lived in or visited this historic city and fabulous resort or anyone who cares about the history of LGBTQ people.
Russ Lopez, a native of California, received his Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Earth Sciences from Stanford University and his Master of City and Regional Planning degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. His doctorate is from the Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health His research interests include urban environmental health and the role of the cities, neighborhoods, and the structure of the built environment in public health outcomes. Current and past studies include the role of neighborhood in long term diet and exercise interventions, the influence of schoolyard renovations on student test scores and association between the neighborhood built environment and obesity. Dr. Lopez has published articles on the health effects of racial segregation, income inequality and urban sprawl. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health.
