"The Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures is a comprehensive reference work that surveys the complex histories and wide cultural diversity of lesbian and gay life. It is designed for students and scholars in all fields as well as for the general public. Lesbians and gays have shared many aspects of life, but their histories and cultures have developed in profoundly different ways.

To reflect this crucial fact, The Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures has been prepared in two separate volumes to assure that both histories receive full, unbiased attention and that a broad range of human experience is covered."--BOOK JACKET.

"The encyclopedia's contributors represent the most respected names in the field of gay and lesbian studies as well as the new scholars whose research will advance gender studies into the twenty-first century. Both volumes offer extended treatment of a wide range of topics spanning history, politics, biography, literature and the arts, and science and medicine."--BOOK JACKET.