A Place for Us: Gay Life at Chicago's Belmont Rocks

Belmont Rocks: Where Chicago Went Queer in Broad DaylightA Place for Us: Gay Life at Chicago’s Belmont Rocks by Owen Keehnen tells the story of a legendary gathering place in Chicago LGBTQ history. Before rainbow flags, before open-door bars, and before Pride became mainstream, the Belmont Rocks gave gay men, lesbians, and the wider queer community something rare and radical: a place to gather in public, in sunlight, and in relative freedom.Drawn from more than 100 firsthand voices and illustrated with more than 115 photographs, this vivid oral history brings the Belmont Rocks back to life through stories of friendship, flirtation, cruising, music, humor, and courage. Often called a gay paradise, the Rocks offered visibility, belonging, and community in broad daylight.Ideal for: readers of LGBTQ+ history, queer Chicago, gay history, oral history, and books about community, memory, and belonging.A Place for Us is both a moving tribute and an important record of queer life in America. Owen Keehnen is also the author of Man’s Country: More Than a Bathhouse and Gay Chicago Memories: 1300 N. Wells. Read more