Survivors and Thrivers: Male homosexual lives in postwar Australia by David Gould

Individually interviewing 27 men aged between 74 and 95 in the late 2000s, David Gould discovered lives – now rapidly being lost to history – that were lived under the shadow of homophobic prejudice. Their stories reveal how men tried to make sense of their same-sex attraction in an era when homosexuality was defined as a mental illness and criminal. Their narratives also explore how homosexual men responded to heterosexuality – defined expectations of family and marriage. They reveal how these men found sex at a time when it was proscribed by law, condemned by society, and luridly sensationalised by the media. What emerges is a revelation – stories of resilience and, sometimes, joy. They teach us that to understand ourselves and our communities, we need to step back and take account of lives that forged our contemporary life.

This history of homosexual life in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s relies on memories that are, with the passage of time, increasingly unavailable. Here we see a world that is rapidly slipping away. What Dr Gould discovered is that, while many men managed to survive the difficulties and challenges, others actually thrived and built lives for themselves, full of friendship, love and pleasure. Their stories are too little told. Anyone interested in queer and Australian history will find this a compelling and illuminating read. More than that, the book has precious lessons for queer people in other countries, their allies and families. It shows the urgency and justice of reform on the international stage. Truth and human rationality can be great agents of change in our world.  – The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG: Justice of the High Court of Australia 1996-2009; Australian Human rights Medal, 1991

Paperback, 207pp, 2023

$35.00

1 in stock (can be backordered)