In the late 1980s, Holly was a young
lesbian living in a rural Pennsylvanian town of Towanda, dreaming of a normal
life and a better job. The desire to earn more and possibly meet a lesbian her
age is what took her to Concord, New Hampshire. The 1980s are a memorable time
for the queer community. From budding LGBTQIA+ protests,
activism, and the deadly AIDS epidemic, Holly documented the politically charged
environment she navigated in a series of monthly columns. The AIDS epidemic caused rampant intolerance
outside of the queer community and unrelenting tension within. Moreover, with
the gay community at the front of the nation, lesbian pride and visibility
diminished. This is where Holly’s columns came to the fore — a statement that the
lesbian community was still right there and still fighting for a more accommodating
future.
Tales
of an American Lesbian — The Best of the Straight & Narrow: 1986 – 1993 by Holly Valero
is an inspirational memoir highlighting the struggle of LGBTQIA+ people in America in the
1980s. Her light humor, sprinkled throughout the book, makes for easy reading
of otherwise difficult and heavy topics. Her coming-out story to her
grandparents is amusing as she regales how difficult it is to talk to older people. Energetic
and full of zeal, the author shares stories from the past that will resonate
deeply with the LGBTQIA+
youth of today.
The 1980s were a time when LGBTQIA+ people were arrested in clubs, fired from jobs,
and shunned by their closest
family members as soon as they learned about their sexuality. This book is a
powerful and engaging testament of the ordeals they went through and a story
that will resonate powerfully with anyone from the LGBTQIA+ community, their family
members, or anyone hoping to learn more about the lesbian struggle for
acceptance and visibility. It is well-written and replete with social and
historical commentaries that are as eye-opening as they are interesting.
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