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Access Type

WSU Access

Date of Award

January 2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

History

First Advisor

Elizabeth V. Faue

Abstract

Historians, labor organizers, and union members have lauded the UAW’s record of progressive activism and social justice unionism, characterizing the UAW as an “American vanguard,” which set standards across North America for workers’ rights, quality of life, and social and family norms. Nowhere in historical scholarship, however, is there a full account of the UAW’s relationship and interaction with queer workers since its 1935 founding. The UAW’s impact on working-class power and justice reshaped the landscape of American life and work, affecting the lives of queer people across North America. In a parallel fashion, the activism and dedication of queer workers contributed to and shaped the trajectory of the union. The intersecting relationship between queer activism and the UAW represents a crucial aspect of the United States in the twentieth century history that has remained unexplored and overlooked. Uncovering this lost history sits at the heart of this study, which will provide for the first comprehensive queer history of the United Auto Workers. In so doing, it helps provide for a more complete understanding of labor’s past, as well as crucial insights for labor activists today.

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