"No Way, They Were Gay?" by Lee Wind is an informative and engaging exploration of the hidden queer histories of well-known figures throughout time. Wind's writing skillfully uncovers and illuminates the lives of individuals whose stories have often been overlooked or hidden. The book serves as a valuable resource for readers interested in learning about the LGBTQ+ contributions and experiences of historical figures.

While the content is educational and eye-opening, some readers may find the book's format, which presents short biographical snapshots, to be a bit brief for an in-depth exploration of each person's life. Nevertheless, the book successfully challenges assumptions and adds an important layer of representation to historical narratives.

Overall, "No Way, They Were Gay?" provides an accessible introduction to the hidden queer histories of various figures, contributing to a more inclusive understanding of the past. It's a recommended read for those interested in uncovering the often overlooked LGBTQ+ stories throughout history.

This book is a good overview of historical LGBTQIA figures. The book is aimed at young adults and is a good starting point to learn more about LGBTQIA history. The short biographies includes letters and other sources. Young reader will enjoy reading about this hidden history.

As a queer woman, I loved this book. I will be including a copy of this book in my classroom library. It's so important to include representation and this book is set up in a way that makes it easy to read and understand, especially for younger LGBTQ people. It's full of knowledge that I didn't even know.

This was an informative book and I'm glad I was given the chance to review it. Some of the facts in this book surprised me. I had heard about some of these people before, but I had never really known about them being queer.
I also liked how the book was divided and how the author covered multiple sexualities.
This was a nice book about LGBT history and taught me a lot, especially since the author provided quite a bit of evidence.

When we talk about history, we often fail to consider an important argument: who writes history?

History books are generally written by people belonging to the upper class, who manipulate or omit information that does not coincide with their political views and motivations. Thus, even though queer people have always been present, our stories haven’t been told, our identities have been erased.

In this book, Lee Wind explores through primary sources (poetry, memoirs, news clippings) the hidden stories of LGBTQ+ people. It is divided into three sections: men who loved men, women who loved women, and people who lived outside gender boundaries. Wind talks about historic figures like Shakespeare, Ghandi, Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Queen Anne, Catalina de Erauso and Christine Jorgensen.

The author takes us through different points in time, he contextualizes the stories of each person he talks about and presents letters and documents written by them. Then, the reader can infer what hides behind the “official” story of their lives. I loved reading the romantic letters that Lincoln wrote, the fascinating life of Catalina de Erauso/Francisco de Loyola, the intensity and passion of Queen Anne…

"I had rather live in a cottage with you then reign empress of the world without you", said Queen Anne to her lover, who was also a powerful woman.

The only thing to bear in mind is that this book is aimed at a young audience who knows little to nothing about the queer community, so the language used is very simple and the explanations can result redundant if you are more informed about the topic. Anyway, this didn’t have a negative impact on my reading experience. I’m going to be recommending this book a lot, not only to YA readers but also to adults who want to learn more about the queer community and don’t know where to start. Our history is a good starting point.

I found this to be a really interesting take on historical figures often not thought of falling under the LGBTQ umbrella, highlighting how history is rewritten and details are omitted. This would make an excellent choice to recommend for a LGBTQ History Month display or reader list.

I recieved the excerpt about Gandhi for review. It was a quick read and I'd definitely be interested in reading about others mentioned in the book.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I'm 43 and these stories were not new to me. There was nothing memorable about the writing style. However, I recognize that they may be new to some readers. I also recognize that visibility and representation are always important.

This was a very informative read.
With the simple writing, explanatory side notes and sporadic photos, it conveyed the stories of some queer people over the course of history.

The only negative thing I could say is that it can feel a little repetitive at times, regarding the use of the same terms over and over again.

This is a great addition to any Junior High or High school history reading list. I think that teens will not only learn more about this selection of famous people but also learn why this information isn't in every biography of them.

This book was really interesting. I didn't realize Lincoln was. I am definitely going to need to read more by this author. I would recommend this book. It's nice to see representation in history.

As a girl, I read a book about psychiatry. In the book, they discussed the DSM. At the time, in the 60s, homosexuality was discussed as aberrant behavior. I knew I was a lesbian. This book shocked me and pushed me into a closet. I knew not to discuss my sexuality with anyone.. History left out the stories of LGBTQIA+ people: men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries. Lee Wind is righting these wrongs. I feel hopeful for upcoming generations who will know they have heroes.

No Way They Were Gay? By Lee Wind

Are they, or aren’t they? This book suggests possibilities regarding the historical figures collected in this book but it leaves the final decision to the reader. There are historical anecdotes, letters, and other information that has been collected and carefully presented so that the reader can make an informed decision while also learning information that may not have been considered before.

What I liked:
* Learning something new to me – I had NO idea that Michelangelo’s David has heart shaped pupils. I learned more about the statue and Michelangelo, too.
* Learning new information about famous historical persons and also learning about people in history that I had not heard of before.
* Reading the first person and second person historical documents chosen about each individual.
* Being reminded that history is a record and only reflects what the author of that record has chosen to share. My truth is MINE but it might not be YOURS…same of history.
* The way the book presented information on the way to reference people who are not cis
* The tidbits of information that I had not heard before: the colors on the rainbow flag, LGBTQIA2+ and QUILTBAG, the idea that it is important to refer to people using their preferred pronoun.
* The way the book was divided into: men who loved men, women who loved women, and people who loved outside gender boundaries
* The illustrations and photographs
* That the reader was given information and then asked to decide for themselves what they would believe
* The sources credited
* Photo acknowledgements
* Believing that this book would be good to add to school libraries and that it would be of interest to many

What I didn’t like:
* Being reminded of the historical intolerance and cruel laws related to people who identified as and lived outside the binary.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I recommend it to others? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group – Zest Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

*I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

"History sounds really official. Like it's all fact. Like it's definitely what happened. But that's not necessarily true. History was crafted by the people who recorded it."

4.5 stars

This book starts with a prologue detailing the author's intent in creating the work (to show that LGBTQ+ people have always existed) and breaking down some basic vocabulary related to LGBTQ+ identities, which I loved to see included. Then the book is separated into 3 sections: Men Who Loved Men, Women Who Loved Women, and People Who Lived Outside Their Gender Boundaries, with each chapter written in short, easy to read passages that focus on a different historical figure.

I loved that Wind used primary sources throughout and I thought the formatting choices allowed for good flow of information when reading the primary source text and Wind's related commentary. I also really liked that Wind chose individuals from diverse backgrounds, not just white Western Europeans/North Americans.

I was pleasantly surprised that Wind was not shy about calling out some of the behavior/language that is understood as and acknowledged to be problematic today. This was especially apparent in the Catalina de Erauso chapter, where Wind has a whole segment acknowledging that they were "racist, misogynistic, violent, and careless with the emotions of others," and the M'e Mpho and We'wha chapters, where Wind acknowledges that Western concepts of queer identities often overshadow Indigenous traditions.

This is being marketed as a Teen/YA book, and truly is the kind of book that would have been transformative to me as a teen; however, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about queer history.

Great Primer on Queer History

The world is very scary to those who are trying to figure out their sexuality/identity. We all need to see ourselves reflected back in order to feel not as alone in the world. Queer history needs to be available and accessible to those who are searching. Lee Wind’s “No Way, They Were Gay?” is a wonderful introduction to famous or notable queers throughout history. It is divided into three basic sections: men who loved men; women who loved women; and those who presented as non-binary or who lived outside gender norms. Along with a highly informative introduction, the book includes not just brief biographies but comes with tab-like explanations pinned to highlight or inform the reader about a certain fact or kernel of information. The conclusion includes the history of the Rainbow Flag. The book contains material from primary sources and includes a full bibliography.

While I knew the stories of many of those included (Cary Grant, Lincoln, Sappho, etc.) I was not familiar with many others’ lives and a few I had never even heard of. The language used is clear, concise, and easy enough for younger readers to understand but not so simple that older readers would deem it childish.

This is the book I wished I had read in Jr. High and a book I learned a lot from now. I am particularly happy I discovered QUILTBAG, which I have started using along with the more commonly known LGBTQIA. I would highly recommend this book as reference material to any teenager who is seeking to learn more about Queer history or as a starting point for further exploration.

This is a wonderful introduction to LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming historical figures. Many of these icons are touched upon in history class, but their full identities are not explored. Though some of the author's conclusions are based upon what was written in letters or other primary source materials, I think it's important to explore the possibility that people can be more than what we see on the surface. I thought this was an interesting way to acknowledge that queer folks have achieved things, too. I think that's important.

"and sometimes, our stories were honored and our history did get told. - This book is one of those times"

simply put / TL;DR: READ THIS BOOK!

This is a really informative, clear and factually correct book, as far as I'm aware, in regards to definitions and describing parts and moments of queer culture. "Well, it's about LGBTQ+ history written by a LGBTQ+ author, shouldn't that be a given?" - you'd be surprised (/appalled) by some (recent) books i read!
The book starts by framing necessary vocabulary and historic/social/cultural context to fully understand the rest of the book, which is one of the reasons i find this book a great resource for any beginners into the subject (LGBTQ+ or allies)!
The rest of the book then is centered in tales of people who were part of the LGBTQ+ community (some more, other less, well-defined historically, but that's half the fun!). It's filled with such great nuggets of knowledge, that I'm sure to bring to the next party! Did you know that Michaelangelo's David has heart eyes? Doesn't the concept of the "power of love" kiss sound so right for a gay love story, actually? Isn't "bittersweet" exactly the kind of word that'd be created by a wlw?
Disseminating queer history in such an accessible, engaging way is so incredibly important for so many aspects of our community! From forwarding civil rights, to educating both LGBTQ+ youth/people and non-LGBTQ+ people, to preserving our history! From showing "it's not a lifestyle - it's a life", to honoring our ancestors, and showing youth (and older people too) that we're not alone in the world, not now and not ever, Lee Wind's Queer History Project is such a necessity. This extraordinary work is held up by amazing referencing, and I know I'll be following up on quite a few of those!
The writing is beautiful and is full of great quotes both from the author and from sources, on being a queer person.
This book will give you Queer History the best way you could receive it; for LGBTQ+ people it'll also tell you "We are not alone"!
"The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you" - Lee Wind

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an eARC for review

This book was quite enlightening and really interesting. I loved how it really dove into people that you would never have expected. Lincoln was an excellent inclusion, and Ghandi was really interesting. My only issue is that it seemed almost too good to be true (sort of like it disregarded the other side of the argument) and also sort of neglected that Ghandi wasn't always the nicest person (pretty racist in South Africa and said that Jewish ppl ought to go with the Holocaust because fighting it would be violence) but I didn't really mind. I did appreciate the note on racism that it had in one of the sections. The section on Eleanor Roosevelt was probably my favorite because it was just so in depth. An excellent book and one that everyone ought to read to remember the queer people who came before us. #NoWayTheyWereGay #NetGalley

Very hard to read, as the Adobe PDF doesn't flow. Sadly, most of this tale is about speculation, and I found some parts disrespectful to those who've passed and cannot speak up.

"Can you imagine having to write the truth of your heart in a secret code?". That line from the book reallyhits the nail on the head for how many people had to hide their feelings for who they loved. There were many people in this book that I never realized were gay. This book is appropriately written for teens.