Take the Young Stranger by the Hand: Same-Sex Relations and the YMCANow associated with family health clubs, the YMCA's bland image is the result of relentless outreach and the studied avoidance of controversy. But, as John Gustav-Wrathall shows in his revealing social history of the organization, the life of the YMCA has been filled with strife, tragedy, and irony, a life that itself reflects the struggle over the shifting societal mores regarding masculine friendship and intimacy. Take the Young Stranger by the Hand presents the YMCA as an institution of profound contradictions, reflective of society's views of same-sex love and sexuality. "Gustav-Wrathall's book offers an in-depth history of the origins and purposes of the Young Men's Christian Association and how it evolved into—and out of—a gay playland."—Arnie Kantrowitz, Lambda Book Report "The book's absorbing exploration of the sometimes schismatic, sometimes synergistic relationship between spirituality and sexuality is a fascinating addition to the growing body of social history."—Jim Van Buskirk, San Francisco Bay Guardian |
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Take the young stranger by the hand: same-sex relations and the YMCA
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictThe ubiquitous, mundane YMCA seems an unlikely subject for a scholarly study, but Gustav-Wrathall reveals that the Y has had a complex and fascinating history at odds with its bland public image. The ... Read full review
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Take the Young Stranger by the Hand: Same-Sex Relations and the YMCA John Donald Gustav-Wrathall No preview available - 2000 |
Bibliographic information
| Title | Take the Young Stranger by the Hand: Same-Sex Relations and the YMCA Chicago Series on Sexuality, H The Chicago Series on Sexuality, History, and Society WORLDS OF DESIRE: THE CHICAGO SERIES ON SEXUALITY, GENDER, AND CULTURE |
| Author | John Donald Gustav-Wrathall |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press, 1998 |
| ISBN | 0226907848, 9780226907840 |
| Length | 267 pages |
| Subjects | › › Religion / Institutions & Organizations Social Science / General Social Science / LGBT Studies / Gay Studies Social Science / LGBT Studies / Lesbian Studies |
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