Book Discussion: Out in the Union: A Labor History of Queer America, by Miriam Frank
Please join the LA Law Library book discussion group as we honor Pride Month and continue our exploration of labor and employment related issues. Out in the Union: A Labor History of Queer America (2015), by Miriam Frank covers the continuous story of queer American workers from the mid-1960’s through 2013. The author chronicles the evolution of labor politics with queer activism and identity formation, showing how unions began affirming the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender workers in the 1970s and 1980s,
Featuring in-depth interviews with LGBTQ and labor activists, Frank provides an inclusive history of the convergence of labor and LGBTQ interests. The book details how queer caucuses in local unions introduced domestic partner benefits and union-based AIDS education for health care workers - innovations that have been influential across the U.S. workforce. Out in the Union also examines organizing drives at queer workplaces, campaigns for marriage equality, and other gay civil rights issues that demonstrate the enduring power of LGBTQ workers.
