Exploring the life histories of gay men in the second half of the 20th Century, this book explores the shifts in sexual attitudes, culture and tolerance in the West. With a discussion of the life histories of three generations of gay men, it makes use of oral testimony as primary material for a history of a sexual sub-culture.

Exploring the life histories of gay men in the second half of the 20th Century, this book explores the shifts in sexual attitudes, culture and tolerance in the West. It presents a ground-breaking discussion of the life histories of three generations of gay men. It makes use of oral testimony as primary material for a history of a sexual sub-culture. It explores changing attitudes and culture in Western society in relation to homosexuality.This ground-breaking book explores the experiences of gay men and their understanding of what it meant to be gay in the 20th Century: from when homosexuality was illegal though the less repressed but no less difficult eras of gay liberation and the HIV-AIDS epidemic.

Introduction
Collecting and Understanding Gay Life Stories
The Coming-Out Stories of the Old Cohort
The Coming-Out Stories of the Middle Cohort
The Coming-Out Stories of the Young Cohort
The 'Scene'
Community Life
Couple Relationships
Friends and Family
Life as an Old Gay Man
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Interview Schedule
Appendix 2: The Age Cohorts and the Interviewees.