Beyond the Politics of the Closet: Gay Rights and the American State since the 1970s ( Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020, $49.95). Pp. 280. isbn 978 0 8122 5185 2 .

Jonathan Bell (ed.), Beyond the Politics of the Closet: Gay Rights and the American State since the 1970s (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020, $49.95). Pp. 280. isbn 978 0 8122 5185 2.

Beyond the Politics of the Closet explores identity, minority politics and their relationship with the state, setting out to answer the question, “why has gay rights politics had such a difficult relationship with broader questions of equality?” (2). The collection of essays that Jonathan Bell has brought together showcase the intersections between issues of equality and identity in an era of conservative ascendency and the decline of the Great Society tradition of governance. Bell's collection – which is split into three chronological sections – asks difficult questions of race, representation, and sexuality during a period of increased visibility and resistance for the LGBT community.

The first section, entitled “Public Policy Comes Out: The 1970s,” addresses the relationship between the state and gay politics with authority. Utilizing Bell's broader discussion of LGBT politics, this section delivers an influential discussion on public-service access – health care and housing, for example – and...