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A professor of speech and communications, Dreyfus is best known for resigning from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (and resigning as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point) to run for the governor's seat. He won. A Republican, Dreyfus was famous for jabbing at liberals in the state capital: "Madison is 30 square miles surrounded by reality," he once said. But he knew politics wasn't black and white, and surprised his party by being the first governor to sign a gay rights law. The 1982 measure made discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation illegal. He explained that the law fit well into his understanding of his party: "It is a fundamental tenet of the Republican Party that government ought not intrude in the private lives of individuals where no state purpose is served, and there is nothing more private or intimate than who you live with and who you love." Dreyfus chose not to run for reelection, preferring to go back into private life. He died at home on January 2 after suffering heart and lung problems. He was 81. From This is True for 30 December 2007 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Mitchell Gold List Price: $23.95 Amazon Price: $16.29 Editorial Review: A mental health crisis faces American teens right now--and it is one we can solve. Hundreds of thousands of gay teens face traumatic depression, fear, rejection, persecution, and isolation--usually alone. Studies show they are 190 percent more likely to used drugs or alcohol and four times more likely to attempt suicide. Homophobia and discrimination are at the heart of their pain. Love, support, and acceptance--all within our power to give--can save them. This book is for: clergy, parents, educators, and politicians who cause harm with their words and actions; parents of gay teens; teens navigating this difficult time; and fair-minded people who want to help end the harm. Here are revealing stories by forty diverse Americans, some well known and some not, plus insights from straight clergy and parents explaining their support of gay people as whole human beings guaranteed equal rights by our Constitution.  By: Michael S. Kimmel List Price: $46.94 Amazon Price: $40.72 Editorial Review: Thoroughly updated and revised, the second edition of The Gendered Society explores current thinking about gender, both inside academia and in our everyday lives. Part I examines the latest work in biology, anthropology, psychology, and sociology; Part II provides an original analysis of the gendered worlds of family, education, and work; and Part III focuses on the gendered interactions of friendship and love, sexuality, and violence. As a result of his research, author Michael S. Kimmel makes three claims about gender. First, he argues that the differences between men and women are not as great as we often imagine, and that in fact women and men have far more in common with one another than we think they do. Second, he challenges the notions of the many pop psychologists who suggest that gender difference is the cause of the dramatic observable inequality between the sexes. Instead, Kimmel reveals that the reverse is true: gender inequality is the cause of the differences between women and men. Third, he argues that gender is not simply an aspect of individual identity but is also an institutional phenomenon, embedded in the organizations and institutions in which we interact daily. Kimmel concludes with a brief epilogue looking ahead to gender relations in the new century. The second edition includes a new chapter, "The Gendered Body," and a sharper critique of biological differences. The Gendered Society, 2/e, is a well-reasoned, authoritative, and keenly animated statement about contemporary gender relations, written by one of the country's foremost thinkers on the subject. It is an essential text for both scholars and students alike. Kimmel's companion book, The Gendered Society Reader, 2/e, (OUP, 2003), provides a perfect complement for classroom use.  By: John D'Emilio List Price: $20.00 Amazon Price: $13.60 Editorial Review: With thorough documentation of the oppression of homosexuals and biographical sketches of the lesbian and gay heroes who helped the contemporary gay culture to emerge, Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities supplies the definitive analysis of the homophile movement in the U.S. from 1940 to 1970. John D'Emilio's new preface and afterword examine the conditions that shaped the book and the growth of gay and lesbian historical literature. "How many students of American political culture know that during the McCarthy era more people lost their jobs for being alleged homosexuals than for being Communists? . . . These facts are part of the heretofore obscure history of homosexuality in America—a history that John D'Emilio thoroughly documents in this important book."—George DeStefano, Nation "John D'Emilio provides homosexual political struggles with something that every movement requires—a sympathetic history rendered in a dispassionate voice."—New York Times Book Review "A milestone in the history of the American gay movement."—Rudy Kikel, Boston Globe  By: Richard A. Cohen List Price: $16.95 Amazon Price: $11.53 Editorial Review: Everyone knows someone with a homosexual orientation - a neighbor, co-worker, relative or friend. "Coming Out Straight" sheds light on a long misunderstood subject. Questions such as what causes same-sex attractions and how one can transition from gay to straight are addressed. Illustrated by those who successfully transitioned, this book is engrossing, illluminating and, for many, an answer to their prayers. Although it may create controversy, it is destined to heal many lives - a loved one...or maybe yours!  By: Bruce Bawer List Price: $17.95 Amazon Price: $16.15 |
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