{"product_id":"9781496841292-political-animal","title":"Political Animal","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Life and Times of Stewart Butler\u003cbr\u003eBased on Stewart Butler’s own personal papers, including hundreds of letters, and dozens of interviews, \u003cem\u003ePolitical Animal \u003c\/em\u003epaints an intimate portrait of a legendary figure in gay politics and the times in which he lived.\u003cbr\u003eDuring Mardi Gras 1973, Stewart Butler fell in love with Alfred Doolittle—a wealthy socialite and schizophrenic from San Francisco. Their relationship was an improbable love story that changed the course of LGBTQ+ history. With Doolittle’s money, Butler was able to retire and devote his life to political activism in the cause of queer liberation. A survivor of the horrific UpStairs Lounge arson, Butler was a founding member of the first statewide lesbian and gay rights organization in Louisiana and an early champion for transgender rights, playing a key role in the eight-year struggle to persuade PFLAG to become the first national LGBTQ+ organization to include trans people in its mission statement.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003ePolitical Animal: The Life and Times of Stewart Butler\u003c\/i\u003e, author Frank Perez traces Butler’s amazing life from his early childhood in Depression-era New Orleans, his adolescence at Carville where his father worked, his first unsuccessful attempt at college, his time in the army as a closeted gay man, his adventures in Alaska, his transformation into a hippie in the 1960s, his love affair with Doolittle, his decades as a gay rights advocate, and ultimately, his twilight years as an elder statesman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Based on Butler's own personal papers, including hundreds of letters, and dozens of interviews, \u003ci\u003ePolitical Animal \u003c\/i\u003epaints an intimate portrait of a legendary figure in gay politics and the times in which he lived.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40827814969441,"sku":"9781496841292","price":25.07,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_38263659_79a9a06c-cc84-4fe2-a65d-240dae4f380d.jpg?v=1763862778","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781496841292-political-animal","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}