Tell Me About It 3: LGBTQ Secrets, Confession, and Life Stories. Review by Dale Boyer

Note: a version of this review appears in The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide

This is the third installment in a series of books that ask LGBTQ folk from around the world questions about their lives. Though the title may sound glib, the resulting quasi-oral history is substantive and oddly compelling, because many of the stories and reminiscences are so relatable. Editors de la Croix and Keehnen have assembled a truly impressive array of responses from around the world – everywhere from the Pittsburgh to Pakistan, with Chicago and the Midwest being particularly well represented. The questions range from When did you first know you were gay? to What do you think about the current assimilation of gay culture? A few of the questions might have been rephrased to elicit a bit more illuminating set of responses (rather than What movies or tv shows capture your funny or serious side? for instance, why not ask, What movies or tv shows best capture the gay experience?). It also might have been useful to have a little bit of analysis. However, nearly anywhere one dips in (and you will find yourself doing this repeatedly), the responses are interesting and illuminating. Tell Me About It is both fun and useful – a real window into what gay life is like -- and has been -- for the past 50 or so years.