Out in the Union : A Labor History of Queer America

A brief chronology of LGBT labor history, 1965-2013 -- Prologue: Love and work and queer survival -- From construction to couture: coming out in unionized workplaces -- Outsiders as insiders: sexual diversity and union leadership -- From common enemies to common causes: the labor movement and the gay movement in action and coalition -- The heart of the matter: union politics, queer issues, and the life of the local -- Organizing the gay unorganized: talking union, talking queer -- Epilogue: When Connie married Phyllis.;"Out in the Union tells the continuous story of queer American workers from the mid-1960s through 2013. Miriam Frank shrewdly 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. She documents coming out on the job and in the union as well as issues of discrimination and harassment, and the creation of alliances between unions and LGBT communities. Featuring in-depth interviews with LGBT and labor activists, Frank provides an inclusive history of the convergence of labor and LGBT interests. She carefully 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 to show the enduring power of LGBT workers."--Résumé de l'éditeur. "Out in the Union tells the continuous story of queer American workers from the mid-1960s through 2013. Miriam Frank shrewdly 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. She documents coming out on the job and in the union as well as issues of discrimination and harassment, and the creation of alliances between unions and LGBT communities. Featuring in-depth interviews with LGBT and labor activists, Frank provides an inclusive history of the convergence of labor and LGBT interests. She carefully 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 to show the enduring power of LGBT workers."-- Publisher's description Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 A Brief Chronology of LGBT Labor History, 1965–2013 14 Prologue: Love and Work and Queer Survival 20 I. Coming Out 34 1. From Construction to Couture: Coming Out in Unionized Workplaces 36 2. Outsiders as Insiders: Sexual Diversity and Union Leadership 67 II. Coalition Politics 92 3. From Common Enemies to Common Causes: The Labor Movement and the Gay Movement in Action and Coalition 94 4. The Heart of the Matter: Union Politics, Queer Issues, and the Life of the Local 121 III. Conflict and Transformation 152 5. Organizing the Gay Unorganized: Talking Union, Talking Queer 154 Epilogue: When Connie Married Phyllis 184 Notes 194 Bibliography 220 Index 230 Tells the continuous story of queer American workers from the mid-1960s through 2013. This book 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.