FAIRYBOY: Growing Up Gay and Out in Pre-Stonewall New York and Beyond

When Garrett Glaser came out as gay to his mother at age fourteen, she said, “You are going to a psychiatrist right now, young man! We are going to nip this in the bud.” Fortunately, she came around to accept her son’s orientation, and Garrett used his psychiatric sessions to address the challenges of finding a boyfriend.

It was 1967, and Garrett was a tenth grader at the prestigious Dalton School in New York City. When he graduated, the headmaster was heard to say of Garrett and his friend, “We just graduated our first fags.” Such was the world before the Stonewall rebellion. It was a time before rainbow flags, when very few gay people were able to live honestly and openly.

Garrett was an unusually adventurous and self-assured teenager. In FAIRYBOY, readers will follow as he explores the hidden world of gay New York, from the infamous “trucks” along the West Side Highway to the Continental Baths in its opening weeks.

Garrett grew up to become an Emmy Award-winning TV news correspondent, with stints at CNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS and Entertainment Tonight. During his thirty-year career, he interviewed the biggest stars and notables of the era, from Elizabeth Taylor and President George H.W. Bush to Oprah Winfrey and even Charles Manson.

In FAIRYBOY, Garrett muses on changes in gay politics over the decades and weaves stories demonstrating the importance of mentors—and of remaining true to oneself.