In the Closet, Conversion Therapy, and Presentations

Dr. Charles Silverstein died this week at the age of 87. Best known for making the 1973 presentation before the American Psychiatric Association that led to the removal of homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual’s list of mental illnesses, he was also a co-author of the landmark book The Joy of Gay Sex.

More than simply a sex manual with graphic drawings (though there was plenty of that), The Joy of Gay Sex, first published in 1977, was a first-of-its-kind guidebook for every aspect of the gay experience.

This interview was originally recorded in August 2021 and was one of Silverstein's last.

LGBTQ&A is hosted and produced by Jeffrey Masters. @jeffmasters1