Men without Maps: Some Gay Males of the Generation before Stonewall

Abstract

John Ibson argues that during the early and middle years of the twentieth century, most American gay male adolescents and adults had to find ways to live as gay without guidance. Unless they happened to reside in one of the few urban enclaves with a substantial gay population, these males lacked role models. Wherever they resided, they could count on no support or even acceptance from the church, the state, or any other major social institution, and little if any validation in popular culture. To describe their situation, Ibson uses a telling metaphor: they had no “maps.” To illustrate this mapless gay life, Ibson provides brief biographical sketches of men not previously the focus of gay history. All were white; nearly all were middle class. None was much celebrated in his lifetime. Ibson bases the sketches chiefly on archival collections of letters, diaries, and personal photos. In a previous book,...