This is a fascinating history of gay culture in the last half of the twentieth century. The author claims it is "an inquiry into the faiths, practices, structure, and meanings of gay life in America." Like Edmund White’s 1980 States of Desire: Travels in Gay America, Browning’s The Culture of Desire is a personal survey about gay men, not a survey approach with footnote s and index.
A former NPR reporter, Browning attempts to discover whether or not a gay culture exists in today's America. The linkage he makes between his data and his thesis is extremely tenuous, however, and many readers may remain unconvinced by his contention that ``gay culture'' is distinguished from other cultural entities by its diversity and its ability to assume a wide range of ``masks.'' Browning filters his perceptions through his own personal experience--cruising San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, attending the raucous, butch- dominated Hotlanta Weekend--and through the experiences of a roster of gays that he has known. He does effectively demonstrate the multiplicity of gay styles and attitudes thus the book is worthwhile for exploring the queer and gay culture. ( )