Urvashi Vaid - Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation

My deepest debt is to the activists whose determination created, and still sustains, the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender movement. I thank friends at Gay Community News, NGLTF, Roadwork and Sisterfire, LIPS, LMF, ACT UP, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Blue Mountain Groups, Provincetown Positive/People With AIDS Coalition, the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association, Trikone, and all my punk-rock friends in Boston.

For assistance with research, documents and facts, thanks go to: Chip Berlet and Jean Hardisty at Political Research Associates; the Data Center; Chai Feldblum and the Federal Legislative Clinic at Georgetown Law Center; Suzanne Goldberg at Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; Robin Kane and the staff of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Greg Herek; Cathy Woolard at the Human Rights Campaign Fund; the National Museum and Archive of Lesbian and Gay History at New York City Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center; Brenda Marsten at the Human Sexuality Archives, Cornell University; countless friends on the Internet, in particular at GayNet, Soc.motts, the Gay and Lesbian Community Forum at America Online; and the Queer Resources Directory.

Nearly sixty movement activists generously gave me hours of time for formal interviews, which helped shape the context of this book. Thank you to: Diane Abbitt, Virginia Apuzzo, David Barr, Vic Basile, Leslie Belzberg, Roberta Bennett, Joan Biren, Susie Bright, Charlotte Bunch, Richard Burns, Larry Bush, Leslie Cagan, the late Michael Callen, Kevin Cathcart, Angela Davis, Marty Delaney, Chai Feldblum, Ruth Finkelstein, Nanette Gartrell, Gilberto Gerald, Rebecca Hensler, Alan Hergott, Amber Hollibaugh, Marjorie Hill, Sue Hyde, Rev. Jesse Jackson, June Jordan, Larry Kramer, Jeff Levi, Steve Lew, Mary Matalin, Rodger McFarlane, Tim McFeeley, Dee Mosbacher, Ralph Neas, Stanley Newman, Ann Northrop, Torie Osborn, Melinda Paras, Suzanne Pharr, Betty Powell, Eric Rofes, Richard Rouillard, Michael Seltzer, Ben Schatz, Jeff Soref, Peter Staley, Charles Stewart, Tom Stoddard, Tim Sweeney, Hank Tavera, Carmen Vazquez, Reggie Williams, Phill Wilson, and Maxine Wolfe.

Several other writers and friends contributed insights and support in countless informal conversations: Terry Anderson, Maggie Barrett, Nancy Bereano, Kevin Berrill, Robert Bray, Claudia Brenner, Margaret Cerullo, Marla Erlien, Ruth Eisenberg, Liz Galst, Richard Goldstein, Mark Harrington, Barbara Herbert, Holly Hughes, Nan Hunter, Lisa Keen, Michael Klein, Frances Kunreuther, Sandy Lowe, Michael Marco, Eric Marcus, Armistead Maupin, Jean McGuire, Joel Meyerowitz, Tim Miller, the late Paul Monette, Phranc, Nancy Polikoff, Minnie Bruce Pratt, Peri Jude Radecic, Cindy Rizzo, Doug Sadownick, Sarah Schulman, Curtis Shepard, Michelangelo Signorile, John Silberman, Barbara Smith, Victoria Starr, Andrew Sullivan, Ann Viitala, Linda Villarosa.

My sincere gratitude goes to my overworked friends who took the time to read countless drafts of chapters or the entire manuscript, and whose comments helped make this a better book: Susan Allee, Michael Bronski, Richard Burns, Kevin Cathcart, John DEmilio, Chai Feldblum, Amy Hoffman, Sue Hyde, Eric Rofes, and Ivy Young.

Heartfelt thanks go to the wonderful Donald Huppert, confidant, transcriber, and computer consultant, who gave me hundreds of hours of time, advice, and loving support throughout the gestation of this book. Thanks are also due to my lecture agents George Greenfield, Lee and Jefferson at Lecture Literary Management for their patience with how little I could do!

My gay and lesbian family in Provincetown and around the country gave me the emotional and political foundation from which everything else followed. In particular, thank you to Susan Allee, Nancy Asch, Leslie Belzberg, Eileen Bindell and Susan Goldberg, Sandra Bolin, Mark Bulman, Richard Burns, Kevin Cathcart, Ruth Eisenberg and Binnie Miller, Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher, Mary Farmer and Laura Flegel, Roslyn Garfield and Phyllis Temple, Roz Gruber, Jade McGleughlin, Alan Hergott and Curt Shepard, Amy Hoffman and Roberta Stone, Tom Huth, Wendy Johnson, Barry Krost and John DeShane, Sue Metro and Debbie Nadolney, the gang at Mussel Beach Gym, Betsy Ringel and Kirk Kolodner, Katina Rodis, Anne Lewis, Pasquale Natale, Jim Rann, Eric Rofes and Crispin Hollings, Greg Russo and Ken Russo, Will Seng, Tim Stein, Stanley Tiploff, Tom Walsh and Don Richards, Trudy Wood and Jesse Miguel Wood, Thalia Zedek and Julie Hardin, and the many friends in Provincetown who heard my doubts and encouraged me to keep going, no matter what.

Thanks are also due to my other families for their strong support throughout these two years. My parents, Krishna B. Vaid and Champa R. Vaid, inspire me with their example as writers and their willingness to change. My sisters, Rachna Vaid and Jyotsna Vaid, have been unfailing in their good humor and love. My brothers-in-law, Ramesh Jagannathan and Ram Menon, offered wonderful support and great e-mail. Thanks to my niece Kaveri for her interest in politics, to my nephew Shantanu for his great sense of fun, to Alka for being so smart, and to Alok for being so sweet! On the other side of my family, I want to thank all the Clintons (from Syracuse, not Little Rock), thanks especially to Dad, or, as I still call him, Mr. Clinton; Bill and Mary; Jim and Eileen; and all the Concannons (Mary, Michael, Grace and Paul)!