Gay New York is George Chauncey's first book. It represents the culmination of his research into the LGBTQ community of New York City throughout the 20th century. He traces the interaction of that community with public perception. Through eyewitness accounts and legal documents, Chauncey explains how gay men and others were commonly loved and accepted in the greater NYC community.
Although Chauncey presents his research as if for the edification of his reader, he does present the information in a manner that implies a certain argument. He describes how social reception of gay culture has changed so dramatically over the years. Before and after WWII, gay men were largely accepted by their peers. They didn't need to hide their identities within the city culture, but this freedom changed in the 1960s when the free love movement became sensationalized. In response to the sexual revolution, the boundaries between homosexual and heterosexual became more sharply defined. The previous fluidity was challenged by constructs. This is Chauncey's argument -- that these boundaries of identity are arbitrary constructs of society. They have evolved alongside the culture of the city, and of America by extension.
Chauncey's writing is impactful because he intermingles his words with historical accounts of NYC residents. He allows the real people of the real past to express their opinions, thus avoiding personal commentary upon these issues of the past. In this method of discussion, he allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about the culture of the NYC in the 20th century.
