Sale 2514 - The Pride Sale, June 20, 2019

sunglasses. But not the electric guitar covered with Keith Haring’s unmistakable figures. I’d have to carry that separately. Queer history has long remained invisible. And for good reason. We kept our lives hidden because the risks—of losing our jobs, our families, and even our homes—were too great. And we were so stigmatized by society that most of us didn’t think our history and the things that represented our lives and experiences were worth saving. And even once we began to fight for our rights, we were too busy looking ahead to consider saving what was past. Fortunately, there were savers among us. Some of what Nicholas and his colleagues shared with me that day brought long-ago history vividly to life, like a “remembrance” copy of Walt Whitman’s Memoranda During the War , inscribed by Whitman to Peter Doyle, from “the author, with his love.” With his love! In 1875! More than a century before I dared to sign things to a man with my love. Others triggered personal memories, and I found myself sharing stories with Nicholas, Daile, Diana, and Alex that were conjured by the precious objects I held in my hands, like the poster from the 1979 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. I almost had a fistfight with another student at Vassar College over that one. A long story, but I couldn’t help but tell it. And they graciously listened. So in this 50th anniversary year of the Stonewall uprising (a key turning point in the history of the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement), get ready for a trip back in time—to a history you may not have known or perhaps lived and then forgot. Or a history that you will remember until the day you die. What you’ll find represented in this landmark collection is astounding, inspiring, and sometimes heartbreaking. A history that’s still there to be discovered, rediscovered, and saved for generations to come. Eric Marcus is the founder and host of the Making Gay History podcast. To learn more: www.makinggayhistory.com.