The nineteenth century brought extensive changes, from the Industrial Revolution to social reform movements, yet the queer identity remained taboo. While social norms often enforced secrecy, a courageous subculture of writers, artists, and thinkers explored themes of gender, sexuality, and identity.

From the noir horror of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla," which pioneered the lesbian vampire myth, to Edward Carpenter's advocacy for gay rights in "Homogenic Love and Its Place in a Free Society," this original Dover anthology includes essays, fiction, and poetry reflecting the literary approaches of six authors representing the queer community, often at great personal risk.

Other selections include Walt Whitman's "Calamus," Theodore Winthrop's "Cecil Dreeme," Agnes Mary Frances Robinson's "An Italian Garden: A Book of Songs," and Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Together, these works provide valuable context for contemporary discussions that are foundational to the original liberation of gay rights.