Great biography of a very important time in history, San Francisco and Gay and Lesbian movement. Brought back memories.

The first thing that struck me about this book is the conversational writing style Cleve Jones uses. The story immediately became personal, the way that you become involved in a story a friend is telling you - complete with side-comments that don't so much make a point as remind you that they're sitting with you NOW, looking back at the story together.

It is a powerful piece of writing and an eye-opening glimpse at history that isn't as distant (in terms of time, or place, or personal experience) from us as some of us may think. While I don't know that I would necessarily get long with, or even particularly like, the author if I met him - it makes his struggle very real and understandable and very heavily underscores the idea that we don't have to like someone, or agree with their beliefs or their lifestyle, to still see them as valuable and worthy of the same chance at happiness and life as anyone else.

Thank you, Cleve Jones for writing this. The final two-thirds or more, especially, should be required reading for every LGBTQ person or civil rights activist, period.

Rating: 3.5

When We Rise is a deeply relevant, if somewhat boring, look into the history of Cleve Jones' historic life of LGBT+ rights and protests. Jones covers his own journey into historic and widespread activism, including his friendship and apprenticeship under Harvey Milk. He details his long fight for equality, beginning on the streets of San Francisco and moving into D.C. Jones occasionally, as in many memoirs, doesn't quite understand what is and is not interesting to his readers. However, his work stands as deeply important and bitterly relevant.

At a time of Milo Yiannopoulos, and other, predominately white, gay males, forgetting their history of activism and struggle, and a time when a large portion of Americans regard marches and protests as lazy entitlement, it is both refreshing and humbling to see the benefits of the activist culture. I would strongly recommend this to anyone irritated at Womxn Marches or the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Change is a slow and bitter uphill battle, and protests are sometimes the only way to wake others up. When We Rise isn't a great book, but it is a necessary one.

Quite interesting and moving book. About the guy who was responsible for the massive AIDS quilt and his story fighting for gay rights (including his friendship with Harvey milk).

First half is stronger, with insights into coming of age and the challenges of organizing and living as a gay man pre-AIDS. Second half is much weaker, often meandering and then leaping forward years at a time, jarringly.