''One More River to Cross: Black and Gay in America'' is a 1996 book written by Keith Boykin, who ran a now-defunct national black gay and

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

organization. He begins the book by describing his life, including coming out at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Law School, working for President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

, and his first sexual experience. He interviews many famous

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

gay men and lesbians such as Cleo Manago,

Perry Watkins Perry Watkins (August 20, 1948 – March 17, 1996) was an American soldier. A gay man, he was one of the first servicemembers to challenge the ban against homosexuals in the United States military. Early life and military career Perry James Henry ...

, and Cheryl Clarke. He describes the

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...

of celebrated blacks such as

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

and

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

. He also details insensitive actions from white gays such as

Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe (; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-p ...

and

Frank Kameny Franklin Edward Kameny (May 21, 1925 – October 11, 2011) was an American gay rights activist. He has been referred to as "one of the most significant figures" in the American gay rights movement. In 1957, Kameny was dismissed from his po ...

. Boykin attempts to spell out how racism and homophobia intersect but also diverge in the lives of African-American gay men and lesbians.

References

1996 non-fiction books American biographies Biographies about LGBT people LGBT literature in the United States LGBT African-American culture Biographies about African-American people 1990s LGBT literature Anchor Books books {{LGBT-book-stub

See also

References