Queer History 101 is dedicated to highlighting iconic books that explore the lives of LGBTQ+ folks past and present, hand-selected by Miss Peppermint and Hugh Ryan.
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DECEMBER PICK
Sick and Dirty: Hollywood's Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness by Michael Koresky
Journey behind the glitz of Classic Hollywood and uncover a hidden truth: queerness did not vanish under the boot of the Motion Picture Production Code (a.k.a. the Hays Code) — it simply became clever, coded, subversive. In *Sick and Dirty*, Michael Koresky takes us from the early 1930s to the early 1960s, exploring how filmmakers, writers and actors tapped into a queer sensibility even while the system tried to silence them. He rescues forgotten voices and reinvents what “queer cinema” means, showing that what seemed invisible was often vibrantly alive beneath the surface. With sharp scholarship and theatrical flair, this book proves that Hollywood’s golden age was not all straight-and-narrow: it pulsed with forbidden longing, hidden solidarity and cinematic rebellion.
Peppermint rose to fame as the first out trans contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race, finishing as runner-up. She then made history as the first trans woman to originate a principal role on Broadway in Head Over Heels. Peppermint is also an activist, serving as the ACLU's first Artist Ambassador for Trans Justice and raising funds for LGBTQ+ organizations. She has been recognized for her work with award nominations and honors, including a GLAAD Media Award nomination, a "Queeroes" award, and a spot on OUT magazine's "OUT100" list.
Hugh Ryan is an award-winning historian, curator, and writer. He is the author of The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison and When Brooklyn Was Queer, which is currently being developed as an XR series by Elliot Page. He teaches nonfiction writing in the MFA program at Bennington College.
Q's about the book club?
Joining is easy. Just subscribe above, pick your favorite host or club, and choose a plan that fits your rhythm — monthly or quarterly. Every plan includes exclusive member perks and bits of joy delivered in every box.
Allstora Tokens are your monthly key to choice. They let you decide what lands on your doorstep: QH101's selection, another club’s pick, or something fun from The Pride Shop. Tokens give you the freedom to shape your reading life each month.
On the 15th of your renewal month, tokens are added to your account. You’ll have 72 hours to make your selection before orders lock. We’ll send a reminder when it’s time to choose. Nothing ships until you make your selection.
If life gets busy, we’ll still do our best to rush your book if we have stock available! Rush orders cost one token.
Totally fine. Your tokens roll forward for up to 12 months. You can stockpile them like a dragon hoarding queer literature, then spend them when the next story (or tote bag) calls your name.
Books ship once you redeem your tokens for that month’s selection. Orders go out during the last week of the month and usually arrive the first week of the next month. If you redeem late, we’ll do our best to get it to you quickly.
Visit your new dashboard here: 👉https://my.allstora.com/account Log in with the same email used at checkout. If you haven’t created an account yet, select “Create Account” and you’ll receive a one-time passcode by email. Once signed in, your subscriptions, tokens, and orders will sync automatically.
All renewals occur on the 15th of each month. On that date, your plan renews and new tokens are added to your account. Monthly plans → tokens issued monthly Quarterly plans → tokens issued every three months
For quarterly book club subscriptions, you will be billed every three months on the 15th for the next month’s book pick. Depending on the month you sign up, you’ll be on one of three cycles: Cycle 1: January, April, July, and October books Cycle 2: February, May, August, and November books Cycle 3: March, June, September, and December books
Each club’s upcoming title is announced on the 15th of the prior month. You can preview the pick and, if it’s not your vibe, simply hold your tokens (for up to a year) to use on another title or item instead.
No drama. Skip it! Your tokens will patiently wait in your account (for up to a year) until a book, merch item, or moment speaks to you.
Yep! You can cancel anytime after your first renewal. No hoops, no heartbreak.
Nope! We’re “read at your own pace” people. Discussion prompts go live weekly in Kiki, but you can jump in whenever the spirit (or your schedule) allows.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Your memberships automatically merge behind the scenes, so you’ll never be double-billed. Your perks stick around as long as you have an active subscription or membership.
Manage everything in one place at: https://my.allstora.com/account There you can: — Update your payment method or shipping info — Skip, switch, or cancel your plan — Review token balance and order history Still need assistance? Contact us anytime at info@allstora.com
