"Based on archival work, personal interviews, and literary history, A Queer Capital is a history of LGBT Washington D.C. during the long decades from the turn of the 20th century through the Eisenhower era. The book is a lively history of black and white gay communities and individuals, attesting to the vibrant cultural and intellectual life of a city sometimes believed to be neither. Of particular importance is the discussion of how racial identities and gay identities were interrelated during the period. A Queer Capital is a book for readers interested in gay life, in Washington D.C. history, and in African American life and culture in the first half of the twentieth century. "--<p>"The first history of LGBT life in Washington, D.C., across the 20th century. Covering black and white individuals and communities, and considering the effects of race, gender, and class, this book explores how lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals built communities, survived anti-gay campaigns, and organized to demand equal rights"--