Reviews of The Bars Are Ours

“Hilderbrand’s writing is transportive, which bolsters his impressive research. … A powerful celebration and examination of LGBTQIA+ nightlife. This book will serve as a significant record of evolving cultural touchstones and queer communities across the country.” — starred review, Library Journal

“A fascinating archival deep dive. . . . Chock-full of excerpts from local gay press rags, recent oral histories, and a treasure trove of old fliers and ads that are as sexy as they are clever and funny, the book shows how the bars reflected the queer communities they attracted—in their irreverence, activism, and spirit of warmth and safety, as well as (sometimes) their overt or implicit discrimination and bias against patrons who did not fit a certain cisgender, gay white male ideal. … [An] absorbing new book, an academic text that is actually fun and riveting to read.” — Tim Murphy, The Body

“A happy cry … The Bars Are Ours tickled the sweet spot in my nostalgia, while also being pretty clear about the ways that gay bars have historically been complicated—racist, gender-policing and often unwelcoming to people who are considered too old, insufficiently fancy or not commercially attractive. Hilderbrand is my favourite kind of smartypants—he knows an absolute ton and still manages to write interesting, vibrant prose with some of the sparkle still on it, not weighted down with jargon and internal politicking of the discipline.” — S. Bear Bergman, Xtra magazine