George Chauncey completed his Ph.D. in history at Yale University. He's currently a professor of history at Columbia University, continuing the work of his grad school education after a brief period teaching at Yale. He's particularly interested in the intersection of history and sociology. During his professional career, he has received several significant fellowships, including the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library.
In 1994 he published Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World. The publication date is significant because it commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots of NYC when the LGBTQ community led riots after an NYPD raid in Greenwich Village. The book follows the development and prosperity of the LGBTQ community in the 20th century. Chauncey focuses on the acceptance of openly gay culture in the city and why that changed in addition to a thorough investigation of the vernacular which accompanied the movement.
