Nicholas Villanueva, Jr., investigates the untold story of the founders of an organization that helped gay rodeo participants persevere through bigotry and discrimination in sport, fought a pandemic that ravaged the LGBTQ community, and created a sporting community that became an international family.

National Book Critics Circle Award Winner NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: The New York Times * NPR * Vogue * Gay Times * Artforum * “Gay Bar is an absolute tour de force.” –Maggie Nelson "Atherton Lin has a five-octave, Mariah Carey-esque range for discussing gay sex.” –New York Times Book Review As gay bars continue to close at an alarming rate, a writer looks back to find out what’s being lost in this indispensable, intimate, and stylish celebration of queer history. Strobing lights and dark rooms; throbbing house and drag queens on counters; first kisses, last call: the gay bar has long been a place of solidarity and sexual expression—whatever your scene, whoever you’re seeking. But in urban centers around the world, they are closing, a cultural demolition that has Jeremy Atherton Lin wondering: What was the gay bar? How have they shaped him? And could this spell the end of gay identity as we know it? In Gay Bar, the author embarks upon a transatlantic tour of the hangouts that marked his life, with each club, pub, and dive revealing itself to be a palimpsest of queer history. In prose as exuberant as a hit of poppers and dazzling as a disco ball, he time-travels from Hollywood nights in the 1970s to a warren of cruising tunnels built beneath London in the 1770s; from chichi bars in the aftermath of AIDS to today’s fluid queer spaces; through glory holes, into Crisco-slicked dungeons and down San Francisco alleys. He charts police raids and riots, posing and passing out—and a chance encounter one restless night that would change his life forever. The journey that emerges is a stylish and nuanced inquiry into the connection between place and identity—a tale of liberation, but one that invites us to go beyond the simplified Stonewall mythology and enter lesser-known battlefields in the struggle to carve out a territory. Elegiac, randy, and sparkling with wry wit, Gay Bar is at once a serious critical inquiry, a love story and an epic night out to remember.

The Rough Guide to California Make the most of your time on Earth with the ultimate travel guides. World-renowned 'tell it like it is' travel guide. Discover California with this comprehensive and entertaining travel guide, packed with practical information and honest recommendations by our independent experts. Whether you plan to hit the surf and seaside rollercoasters of Santa Cruz, hike in the Sierra Nevada, roam the Napa Valley's wineland, or embark on a Route 66 road trip, the Rough Guide to California will help you discover the best places to explore, eat, drink, shop and sleep along the way. Features of this travel guide to California: - Detailed regional coverage: provides practical information for every kind of trip, from off-the-beaten-track adventures to chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas - Honest and independent reviews: written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, our writers will help you make the most from your trip to California - Meticulous mapping: practical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys. Find your way around San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and many more locations without needing to get online - Fabulous full-colour photography: features inspirational colour photography, including the sheer mountains of Yosemite National Park cast in a golden morning light and iconic Bixby Creek Bridge connecting the cliffs of the beautiful Big Sur coast - Time-saving itineraries: carefully planned routes will help inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences - Things not to miss: Rough Guides' rundown of Pam Springs, Yosemite Valley, Redwood National Park, Route 66 and Big Sur's best sights and top experiences - Travel tips and info: packed with essential pre-departure information including getting around, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, shopping and more - Background information: comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter provides fascinating insights into California, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary - Covers: Los Angeles; San Diego; the deserts; Death Valley; the Sierra; the Central Coast; San Francisco; the Gold Country; Lake Tahoe and Northern California You may also be interested in: Rough Guide Southwest USA, Rough Guide Florida, Pocket Rough Guide San Francisco About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold globally. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy 'tell it like it is' ethos, the Rough Guides list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.

The new full colour Rough Guide to California is the definitive guide to the most alluring state in the US. It's full of insider tips on how to unearth the best that the Golden State has to offer: authentic Mexican food in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego; countless hiking trails and ski areas in the towering Sierra Nevada range; road trips on Historic Route 66 and the stunning Pacific Coast Highway; tastings in the best California wineries and camping in the pristine state and national parks. Smartly designed with stunning photography and packed with some of the most easy-to-use maps you'll find in any guidebook, the Rough Guide to California contains fun and adventurous itineraries, savvy lists of hotspots and heaps of recommendations and detailed practical information to help you take advantage of everything this nearly 900-mile-long state has to offer. Whatever your budget, this guide will help you explore California's bounty of natural and cultural wonders, find top-notch places to eat and sleep and make the most of every minute of your holiday. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to California. Now available in ePub format.

This practical travel guide to California features detailed factual travel tips and points-of-interest structured lists of all iconic must-see sights as well as some off-the-beaten-track treasures. Our itinerary suggestions and expert author picks of things to see and do will make it a perfect companion both, ahead of your trip and on the ground. This California guide book is packed full of details on how to get there and around, pre-departure information and top time-saving tips, including a visual list of things not to miss. Our colour-coded maps make California easier to navigate while you're there. This guide book to California has been fully updated post-COVID-19. The Rough Guide to California covers: Los Angeles; San Diego; the Deserts; Death Valley; the Sierra; the Central Coast; San Francisco; the Gold Country; Lake Tahoe and Northern California. Inside this California travel guide you'll find: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER Experiences selected for every kind of trip to California, from off-the-beaten-track adventures in Yosemite Valley, to family activities in child-friendly places, like Venice Beach, or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like Salvation Mountain. PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS Essential pre-departure information including California entry requirements, getting around, health information, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, food and drink, festivals, culture and etiquette, shopping, tips for travellers with disabilities and more. TIME-SAVING ITINERARIES Includes carefully planned routes covering the best of California, which give a taste of the richness and diversity of the destination, and have been created for different time frames or types of trip. DETAILED REGIONAL COVERAGE Clear structure within each sightseeing chapter of this California travel guide includes regional highlights, brief history, detailed sights and places ordered geographically, recommended restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs and major shops or entertainment options. INSIGHTS INTO GETTING AROUND LIKE A LOCAL Tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money and find the best local spots for surfing or climbing the saw-toothed peaks of the Sierra Nevada. HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS NOT TO MISS Rough Guides' rundown of Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Big Sur, San Diego's best sights and top experiences help to make the most of each trip to California, even in a short time. HONEST AND INDEPENDENT REVIEWS Written by Rough Guides' expert authors with a trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, this California guide book will help you find the best places, matching different needs. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter of this travel guide to California features fascinating insights into California, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary. FABULOUS FULL COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY Features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Yosemite National Park and the spectacular Bixby Creek Bridge. COLOUR-CODED MAPPING Practical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys for quick orientation in San Francisco, Napa and many more locations in California, reduce the need to go online. USER-FRIENDLY LAYOUT With helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time.

The New York Times–bestselling true crime author reveals the full story of murder and deception behind the Lifetime movie Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer. Texas millionaire Steven Beard, Jr. fell hard for Celeste Martinez, a waitress less than half his age. She served the seventy-year-old widow his nightly cocktail—along with sexual favors—at a country club in Austin. After they married, Steven gave her cars, homes, jewelry, and designer clothes. But Celeste wanted more. Claiming she had depression, Celeste checked into a psychiatric facility, where she met and seduced fellow patient Tracey Tarlton. Celeste soon convinced Tracey that the only way they could be together would be to kill Steve. One early morning in October, Steve awoke to a shotgun blast to his gut. Tracey was arrested but refused to implicate Celeste . . . until she learned the truth about her lover. In a sordid trial that featured the antics of famed Texas defense attorney Dick DeGuerin, the depths of Celeste’s lies were revealed in a tale of lust, betrayal, and regret. This new edition of The Fortune Hunter has been updated throughout. “A brilliantly crafted and endlessly compelling true crime thriller, Spencer is among the best of the best.” —Edgar Award–winning author Burl Barer

Dangers and conflict are faced by police officers everywhere. In a huge metropolis those threats are multiplied. Law enforcement must depend upon dedicated men and women bravely working together to keep each other safe. Or so one might expect. Sergeant OLeary and the L.A.P.D. tells a different story. This is the truth authorities in the City of Angels did not want printed. It is the story of a Los Angeles police officer who battled internal harassment and threats to his life yet refused to be run out of the L.A.P.D.Why was Sergeant OLeary faced with such problems? Because other police officers thought he was gay. I better never have to work with a queer. If I do, Ill wait until some night when theres a burglary call and were in a dark building, states a Los Angeles patrolman. My .45 will accidentally take care of him. One shot to the head. No more fag. No more problem. This will be a better world. Such threats are not idle. Homophobic officers provide drama and suspense. Uncontrolled cops in Rampart Division beat Hispanics and blacks. There are gunfights in 77th and a storm at Venice Beach. Yet, parts of OLearys story are genuinely funny. Here are tales of a deer shot and killed in the bloody back seat of a speeding patrol vehicle, of a too generously endowed academy recruit, of cops playing chicken with squad cars in Beverly Hills after midnight, and married men in blue looking for easy dates. Its all entertaining.