Lee Wind - No Way, They Were Gay?: Hidden Lives and Secret Loves

Advance praise for

Such an important book, both enlightening and entertaining. Highly recommended for readers age 10110!

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist

This fascinating look at the hidden lives of some of historys most important figures deserves a place in every library, not to mention the hands of readers, many of whom will see much needed reflections of themselves.

Ellen Hopkins, New York Times best-selling author of Crank

I cant believe this book hasnt existed until now!! Its a joyful and fascinating read that reminds us that LGBTQ+ people have always existed, thrived and made important contributions to society. No matter what your age, orientation or gender identity, Lee Wind makes you feel like this book was written for you.

Michael D. Cohen, actor, writer, director, and acting coach

This is a fascinating book that challenges the simplistic history we have been taught to believe for far too long. Lee Wind illuminates the complexities of historical figures, and through them, readers are given permission to be their true, complex selves.... An important book for readers of all ages.

Lesla Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies , Sparkle Boy , and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard

Fascinating, ambitious, diverse, rigorously researched, and much-neededthis book will save lives.

Kathleen Krull, winner of the Childrens Book Guild Nonfiction Award for body of work, and author of the Lives Of series

This work serves not only to educate everyone who reads it, but also to help LGBT youth feel seen, to know people like them exist in the world, and to have role models that are among the most revered of leaders. Do I wish Id had this in junior high school? You bet!

Dr. Judy Grahn, author of Another Mother Tongue

Lee Wind has done a fabulous job pulling back the curtain to reveal some long suppressed history. Not only is No Way, They Were Gay? fascinating reading, I firmly believe it is a book that is literally going to be a lifesaver for some young readers.

Bruce Coville, author of the groundbreaking short story Am I Blue? as well as My Teacher Is an Alien and more

I think as a teen I mightve chosen to major in History if Id read Lee Winds fun, fast-paced, and thought-provoking book. I love how it lays out the evidence about some of our pasts greatest heroes, invites us to draw our own conclusions, and inspires us, regardless of our sexual orientation or gender identity to be true to who we are.

Alex Sanchez, author of Rainbow Boys and You Brought Me the Ocean

Lees work reminds readers, especially LGBTQ readers, that we all come from somewhere and that even though the history books may seek to silence or throw a shadow over our truths, our truths are ours to share with the world with pride.

Matthew C. Winner, host of The Childrens Book Podcast

Lee Wind offers LGBTQ youth (and anyone who cares about them) a compelling and often surprising look at a history they may not have been conscious of. A powerful and necessary book.

Ellen Wittlinger, author of Hard Love and Parrotfish

For my husband, Mark, whose love gives me wings;

for our daughter, who fills our days with joy and gratitude;

and for you, reader.

This book is for us all.

Text copyright 2021 by Lee Wind

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review .

Zest Books

An imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

241 First Avenue North

Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA

For reading levels and more information, look up this title at www.lernerbooks.com .

Visit us at zestbooks.net .

Design by Lindsey Owens.

Main body text set in Janson Text LT Std. Typeface provided by Linotype AG.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wind, Lee, author.

Title: No way, they were gay ? : hidden lives and secret loves / Lee Wind, M.Ed.

Description: Minneapoli s : Zest Books, [2021 ] | Series: The queer history projec t | Includes bibliographical references . | Summary: History has often ignored men who loved men, women who loved women, and people who lived outside gender boundaries. Lee Wind examines primary source letters, poems, and more to rethink the lives and loves of historical figures Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020013115 (print ) | LCCN 2020013116 (ebook ) | ISBN 781541581586 (library binding ) | ISBN 781541581623 (paperback ) | ISBN 781728419169 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: GaysBiographyJuvenile literature . | GaysIdentityJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC HQ75.2 .W56 2021 (print ) | LCC HQ75.2 (ebook ) | DDC 306.76/60922dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020013115

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020013116

Manufactured in the United States of America

1-47342-47968-12/29/2020

In 1961, when I was twenty-one, I went to a library in Washington, D.C., to read about homosexuals and Lesbians, to investigate, explore, compare opinions, learn who I might be, what others thought of me, who my peers were and had been. The books on such a subject, I was told by indignant, terrified librarians unable to say aloud the word homosexual , were locked away. They showed me a wire cage where the special books were kept in a jail for books. Only professors, doctors, psychiatrists, and lawyers for the criminally insane could see them, check them out, hold them in their hands.

Judy Grahn, Another Mother Tongue

Just think. Youre holding this book in your hands. Weve come a long way.

Its our same world. Only looked at from a different perspective. Just like the history in this book.

Introduction

History sounds really official. Like its all fact. Like its what happened.

But thats not necessarily true. History was crafted by the people who recorded it.

Imagine you got into a fight at school. Afterward, there will be different versions of what happened. Youll have your story, the other kid will have their story, and a third person, who maybe saw the fight happen, will have a third story. Whose story will the principal believe? Which version will become the official story, the history , of that moment?

What if that third person doesnt like you?

What if that third person is your best friend?

What if your fight was with the principals kid?

Whose story will become history now?

In the same way, many stories of the past were changed by those in power to support the people they liked, the beliefs they held, and the things that were important to them, such as keeping their power. Some historians may have tried to protect people they cared about from stigma and laws that might have targeted them. Other historians were biased against, didnt see, or couldnt even imagine anyone different from themselves.

The result? History has often left out the stories of women, people of color, disabled people, and LGBTQ peoplemen who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries.