Vanguard

“Joseph Plaster’s book about trans and queer street kids creating networks of mutual aid and collective care more than sixty years ago could not be more timely—the more inclusive society that emerged in the aftermath of their activism is crumbling, and we who want to carry their torch in the present need to draw on their insights, strategies and visions more than ever.” - Susan Stryker, author of Transgender History: A Resource for Today's Struggle—and Tomorrow's

“Joseph Plaster’s research into Vanguard is essential queer history making, pulling the veil back on long ignored pre-Stonewall LGBTQ+ youth organizing. At a time when young queer people are more numerous and vocal than ever, Vanguard: A Queer History of Mutual Aid provides an incredible model for organizing for community support and radical change.” - Hugh Ryan, historian and author of My Bad: A Personal History of the Queer '90s and Beyond