The deviant's war. The homosexual vs. the United States of America

A Publishers Weekly most anticipated spring book reveals the hidden history of the fight for gay rights that began before Stonewall. In 1957, Frank Kameny, a promising astronomer at the U.S. Defense Department, was summoned to Washington, D.C., due to suspicions about his sexuality. After humiliating interviews, he was dismissed, but unlike many, Kameny chose to fight back. This book chronicles his journey as an early champion of gay liberation, advocating for his right to serve his country following the Lavender Scare. It follows Kameny as he navigates the underground gay scenes in Boston and D.C., formulating arguments against the government's classification of gay individuals as "sexual perverts." At a time when many remained in the closet, he challenged the American establishment, sparking a revolution in sexual morals and laying the groundwork for what we now recognize as Gay Pride. Drawing on firsthand accounts, declassified FBI records, and extensive personal documents, the narrative unfolds through the 1960s, highlighting Kameny's founding of the Mattachine Society of Washington, the first organization to protest the persecution of gay federal employees. It connects gay rights with the Black Freedom Movement, the New Left, and trans resistance, depicting a pivotal moment in American culture marked by public battles, betrayal, love, and ultimately, victory.