Two publication dates for the two halves of the book. Branson owned an operated a gay bar in Los Angeles in the 1950s, and published a memoir of her experiences in 1957; this new edition features commentary and historical context from Fellows, a historian who specializes in pre-Stonewall American gay culture.
Branson's understanding of her clientele is a bit condescending and warped by modern standards, but her general sympathy and the fact that she's even making the effort to understand makes her a rather remarkable figure for her era, and the book is an interesting historical curio.
Also includes the original introduction to Branson's book, written by a psychologist friend of hers, who believed (as Branson did) in reincarnation, and proposes the theory that homosexuality is caused by a spirit failing to completely adjust to life in a male body after a long string of female bodies (or vice versa).
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