In this exhilarating journey into underground parties, pulsating with life and limitless possibility, acclaimed author Amin Ghaziani unveils the unexpected revolution revitalizing urban nightlife.
Far from the gay bar with its largely white, gay male clientele, here is a dazzling scene of secret parties—club nights—wherein culture creatives, many of whom are queer, trans, and racial minorities, reclaim the night in the name of those too long left out. Episodic, nomadic, and radically inclusive, club nights are refashioning queer nightlife in boundlessly imaginative and powerfully defiant ways.
Drawing on Ghaziani’s immersive encounters at underground parties in London and more than one hundred riveting interviews with everyone from bar owners to party producers, revelers to rabble-rousers, Long Live Queer Nightlife showcases a spectacular, if seldom-seen, vision of a queer world shimmering with self-empowerment, inventiveness, and joy.
Awards and Recognition
- A Them Queer Book We're Itching to Read
"An accessible, absorbing look into an evolving form of queer culture, written by a brilliant sociologist."—Library Journal, starred review
"The sociologist Amin Ghaziani wants to turn a funeral into a party. . . . [I]n Long Live Queer Nightlife, Ghaziani makes the case that, though the shuttering of gay bars is sad, it prompted a renaissance for club nights, alternative dance spaces championed by people of color and gender-nonconforming people. Unlike the stationary gay bar that caters to the white gay man, these ticketed events are nomadic and inclusive, often popping up in warehouses on the industrial outskirts of sleepless cities. Save your tears, because queer nightlife is alive and well. In fact, it’s even better than ever, having evolved into a more progressive, sophisticated form. . . . Ghaziani shines as an academic."—John Paul Brammer, New York Times Book Review
"[A] refreshingly hopeful perspective on the changing nature of queer urban nightlife."—Ilana Masad, them
"This intelligent insightful inquiry on the state of LGBTQ nightlife is eye-opening, distressing, but, perhaps most importantly, optimistic, and future-forward."—Jim Piechota, The Bay Area Reporter
"Thoughtful and well researched, Ghaziani’s book looks beyond the binaries and prejudices within LGBTQ+ communities to celebrate a more inclusive space of queerness that actively identifies and accepts difference in all its forms. A wonderfully lively and open-minded intellectual inquiry."—Kirkus
"It’s no secret that gay bars are important community hubs –– and unfortunately closing in droves across the country. On top of that, judgment and a yearning for a different kind of connection has scared a generation of queers away from walking into their local clubs. But that doesn’t mean that the party is stopping, especially for those who know where to look. It’s a world that author Amin Ghaziani dives into in his new book. . . . From the safety of my couch, I’m living through him vicariously!"—Carson Mlnarik, Queerty
"A rollicking, paradigm-shifting canter through the undergrounds of queer London."—Diarmuid Hester, University of Cambridge
"Simply put, this book is full of queer glee. It creates a refreshingly optimistic perspective on the ongoing demise of queer safe nightlife spaces, focusing on something better emerging that is more edgy, creative and inclusive."—Zack Ditch, The Conversation
"The work Ghaziani has done here truly does provide us with an opportunity to reorient our thoughts around what nightlife is, what it means for each of us individually, and what possibilities are waiting for us when we prioritize redefinition over mourning loss."—Stef Rubino, Autostraddle
"Ghaziani provides an immersive view of [club nights], profiling partygoers and event planners and participating in the club nights himself. It’s an invigorating and upbeat view of queer life."—Publishers Weekly
“Are you worried about queer spaces closing? Me too. But guess what: they’ll never shut down all the queer pop-up nights. If you live to dress up and go out, but you also appreciate beautiful, thorough research, you’re going to love this book. Grab your leather choker and DM for the address—we’re going underground.”—Krista Burton, author of Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America
“With fluency and care, Amin Ghaziani brings us the voices and spaces of queer nightlife in the city. This is a book that listens closely, sees clearly, and dances freely. Against a sociology of loss, Ghaziani offers a counsel of joy.”—Fran Tonkiss, London School of Economics and Political Science
“Call your friends and get on the night bus! In Long Live Queer Nightlife, Amin Ghaziani takes us to London’s most exciting club nights—in places you least expect—to reveal how queer nightlife thrives even when capitalism crushes the gay bar. This is rigorous, thumping cultural analysis.”—madison moore, author of Fabulous: The Rise of the Beautiful Eccentric
“Long Live Queer Nightlife is a hopeful and hugely generous book. Ghaziani demonstrates an openness to the diverse places and people he encounters, and he approaches other scholars in the mode of conversation rather than point-scoring critique. The result is engrossing, accessible, and intellectually astute, and we come to understand afresh why queer clubbing and counterculture matter. As Ghaziani shows, fun is both life enhancing and deeply political.”—Matt Cook, University of Oxford
“The gay bar is dead; long live queer nightlife! This delightful and illuminating book takes us out on the town—London town. It shows us that, despite a dominant narrative of the death of gay nightclubs, queer nightlife is thriving while becoming more inclusive and joyful than ever. A must-read for anyone interested in urban life, culture, and community!”—Abigail C. Saguy, author of Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are
“Beneath the surface of statistics bemoaning the closure of gay bars, Amin Ghaziani discovers the underground queer scene of London club nights. From pop up clubs to warehouse parties, these episodic events are ephemeral, but, as Ghaziani finds, the search for queer joy is durable. This book is a celebration of radical inclusivity and the remaking of community, and a rediscovery of the joy of a night out.”—Ashley Mears, author of Very Important People: Status and Beauty in the Global Party Circuit
