June is Pride Month.
Charles Silverstein was a respected author, lecturer and psychologist. In 1973, his presentation before the American Psychiatric Association led to the declassification and eventual removal of homosexuality as a mental illness from the organization’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.
In 1977, he and writer Edmund White, co-authored the groundbreaking The Joy of Gay Sex. They set out to create a book, not so much about sex, but more about community and relationships. Their goal was to write a book that they would have appreciated as adolescents. They succeeded, as The Joy of Gay Sex has had worldwide popularity and distribution. It has been translated into five languages.
Charles was the founding director of the Institute for Human Identity and Identity House in New York City. He became a member of the American Psychiatric Association, eventually being named a fellow in 1987.
He passed away in January of 2023 at the age of 87.