Media, Society, Politics, Sociology, Columbia, Sexuality, Gay and Lesbian 

A comprehensive introduction to lesbian and gay studies for students and general readers. More than 100 articles, essays, letters, and primary documents cover the formation of gay identity; religious, scientific, medical, and legal perspectives; the mainstream media; lesbian and gay media; and community prospects and tactics. The text includes: a general introduction; viewpoints - ranging from radical to conservative - of lesbian and gay scholars and community writers, as well as non-gay intellectuals and public figures; essays, articles, and primary documents such as letters and manifestoes from both mainstream and lesbian/gay sources; detailed exploration of mainstream media representation of gays and lesbians in films, television, and print, as well as the rise of lesbian/gay media outlets; broad coverage of history and identity, social, cultural, legal, medical and religious regulation, AIDS and lesbian and gay political agendas and strategies; and topics relevant to the late-1990s, such as the development of a cybercommunity, as well as questions of censorship and pornography, same-sex-marriage, the ethics of "outing", gay and lesbian activism and the conservative backlash. - from Amzon