Book cover of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington by James Kirchick
History

Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington 

Washington, D.C., has always been a city of secrets. Few have been more dramatic than the ones revealed in James Kirchick’s Secret City.

For decades, the specter of homosexuality haunted Washington. The mere suggestion that a person might be gay destroyed reputations, ended careers, and ruined lives. At the height of the Cold War, fear of homosexuality became intertwined with the growing threat of international communism, leading to a purge of gay men and lesbians from the federal government. […Learn More]

Book cover of The Engagement: America's Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage by Sasha Issenberg
Politics & Social Science

The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage

On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state bans on gay marriage were unconstitutional, making same-sex unions legal across the United States. But the road to that momentous decision was much longer than many know. In this definitive account, Sasha Issenberg vividly guides us through same-sex marriage’s unexpected path from the unimaginable to the inevitable. […Learn More]