Out in the World

From Publishers Weekly: Miller ( In Search of Gay America ) traveled for two and a half years through 12 countries, observing gay and lesbian life. This crisply written report underscores sharp cultural differences as it moves from Denmark, where homosexual partnerships enjoy virtually the same legal status as heterosexual marriage, to Argentina, which is home to entrenched, violent, socially sanctioned prejudice against homosexuality. In Japan, Thailand and Egypt, Miller encountered cultures in which same-sex relations have traditionally been accepted, while the larger fact of people's gay identities has been denied. In Australia, he found extremely enlightened AIDS policies. Among Australian Aborigines, black or mixed-race South Africans, and Maoris in New Zealand, he pondered the dilemma faced by people struggling to combine gay awareness with cultural and racial identities. In reunited Germany and post-1989 Czechoslovakia, Miller noted considerable political tolerance toward gays and lesbians. His compelling survey documents the international effects of the AIDS epidemic in forging gay community. Author tour. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal: Continuing in the style of his prize-winning In Search of Gay America ( LJ 4/15/89), Miller extends his examination of lesbian and gay life to 12 nations on five continents. From police repression of gay gatherings in Argentina to government-sanctioned marriages of same-sex couples in Denmark, Miller relates stories of both closeted and openly gay individuals. Interviewees share how their respective cultures have enabled or inhibited them from expressing their affections. In the face of oppression, the indomitable spirit of lesbians and gay men the world over is revealed. Miller acknowledges the book's slant toward the gay male experience, having found it difficult to contact as many lesbians as he wished. Still, more than any other, this work offers keen insight into the diversity and commonality of international gay life. Out in the World is highly recommended for public and ac ademic libraries. - Stephen Newcomer, Los Angeles P.L. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.