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Berlin's third sex
Paperback
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- Book Synopsis
- In 1904, Berlin did not exactly look like a haven of tolerance. Sex between consenting males and gender non-conformity were illegal, and other forms of sexual expression faced oppressive societal taboos. But despite fear, secrecy, and blackmail, Germany's imperial capital nurtured a vibrant and diverse queer subculture. In Berlin's Third Sex, German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld offers a sympathetic glimpse into this queer life, depicting spaces such as gyms, bars, cafés, aristocratic drawing rooms, and tenement apartments that drew the "third sex" - exiles from contemporary gender and sexual norms. Intimate, striking, and surprisingly sentimental, Hirschfeld's account takes us from drag king cavaliers at all-night lesbian balls to "uranian" men darning socks for their soldier sweethearts, and from cigar-smoking trans men to sex workers in moonlit parks. Hirschfeld reveals vast networks of clandestine connections: coded vernacular, camp aliases inspired by pop culture, encrypted classified ads, and even a pre-Grindr telegraphic service for summoning temporary companions. Featuring extensive notes, an informative afterword, and an earlier pamphlet on same-sex attraction by Hirschfeld, this volume is of crucial importance for students, scholars, and readers interested in queer history.
- About The Author
- James J. Conway is a Berlin-based writer and translator from German to English.
- Product Details
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- ISBN
- 9781487558451
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- University of Toronto Press, (14 May 2025)
- Number of Pages
- 152
- Weight
- 1 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 216 x 140 x 25 mm
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