Roger Moorhouse is a vice president of finance in New York, with a wife and two children. Julian Prince is a Russian literature professor at Columbia university and in his first committed relationship. Danny Duffy is an assistant manager of produce at his local grocery store, and lives with his mother and brothers. On the surface, these men have little in common. In reality, they are all gay. In today’s world, this classification is less than sensational. But it’s 1960s New York, and homosexuality is considered a crime and even a mental illness. And when police officers raid a gay bar one night, these three men are taken to the station for processing, and worse. Disorderly Men by Edward Cahill follows three men who endure the unjust realities of being gay in pre-Stonewall New York City. And then one night of extremely bad luck changes their lives forever.
On the night of the raid, Roger nearly escapes. But he hesitates as the young man he was flirting with all night freezes. They are both caught. Julian and his partner, Gus, attempt to hide – something that Gus is not used to. So when he decides to confront the officers, one strikes him in the head, leaving him bloodied and Julian rushing to his side. Danny doesn’t go down easily and fights back, only to end up in the same patty wagon as his fellow patrons. All men’s reputations are at stake – something the officers make very clear during questioning. While Roger and Julian are let go without being booked, Gus and Danny are not as lucky. One of the officers abuse and torture Danny after processing, and Gus goes missing.
As Roger cautiously makes his way back home to his wife and children, he reflects on how the night’s events nearly unraveled everything. If his sexual orientation were made public, he would lose his job and his family. After all, that’s what happened to Danny. Since he was processed, his name along with others are printed in the next day’s newspaper. His family has disowned him and his boss fires him. While he stays with a friend, he lives with the physical and emotional pain caused by the night’s events. Julian, meanwhile, has no idea where Gus is. He has no permanent address at the moment, his acquaintances haven’t seen him, and Julian can’t go back to the police station for fear of living the terrifying ordeal all over again.
The story arc pulled me in, and I inevitably sympathized with what these men had to go through. I hate thinking about the fear and shame that gay men endured before the historical uprising changed things for the better. I could only root for them to achieve a sense of contentment and happiness with who they are and the lives they live. Roger is living a lie, but only because that’s what society expects of him. He struggles to fulfill his role as a loving husband with general intimate interest in his wife. And he fears that his son might end up much like him. Consequently, self-loathing, regret, and personal torment take over in the days following the raid. Julian isn’t in the closet per say. But his fear of law enforcement and public scrutiny prohibit his relationship with Gus to reach its full potential. His fear also obstructs his search once Gus goes missing. And Danny, who is the youngest of the protagonists, turns his pain into anger. He considers not only taking justice into his own hands, but also what a political shift for equal rights would look like. And he is not at all opposed to violence that may occur to ensure safety for his community.
Cahill shows society’s perception, criminalization, and rejection of homosexuality through his characters in Disorderly Men. Through their POVs, readers get just a glimpse of what life was like for those whose crime was being who they are. The internal and heartbreaking struggle of risking their livelihood for something as simple as who they are attracted to or love will engage readers. And most will undoubtedly sympathize with them as they navigate the constant terror of being outed. Yes, we know that this group eventually won equal rights and acceptance in (most of) the world. But Cahill shows us the blood, sweat, and tears that generations put in to get there.
Edward Cahill joins the growing guest list at the Cantina Book Club podcast. He talks about how his teaching background helped him write his first book. Keep an ear out for an upcoming episode and order Disorderly Men, available now.
