William Mann is a veteran advocate for the LGBTQ+ community whose knowledge of our history is deep. It’s a history he both lived and studied. As a scholar, Mann has authored books and articles and taught the subject, incorporating many perspectives and discovering fresh material. Students at Central Connecticut State University flocked to his courses on LGBT History, The History of AIDS, The History of Popular Culture, and LGBT Film, among others, Connecticut Explored has proudly featured Mann’s work.
Katherine Hermes, Publisher, Connecticut Explored, and Professor Emerita, CCSU.
Will’s approach to LGBTQ history humanizes the subject. He is masterful in pulling out personal stories, often buried in archives and newspaper articles, that bring the complexity of our community’s history to life. His approach makes LGBTQ history relatable to all.
Ilene Frank, Curator, Connecticut Historical Society
The time is ripe, the author is right, for this eye-opening history. With humor and a sympathy unclouded by awe, Mann dismantles the elaborate charade [and reveals the] ambiguous sexuality that lay behind the deceptively straightforward [Hollywood] image.
Molly Haskell, author of From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies
William Mann sets new standards in movie biography
Film historian and critic David Thomson