The Well of Loneliness is one of those books that one has to read in their lifetime if they are ever to understand contemporary gay culture in a meaningful way. Sure, a novel that was written in 1928 seems odd to hold up as contemporary gay literature, but it was, indeed, a glimpse into the beginning of the world we now inhabit: a world where love is equal, where states are falling like dominoes towards justice when previously justice was only a dream.
There is a tendency (I'm generalizing here) for straight allies to believe that the cause of gay equality is a relatively new one, one that was borne out of Stonewall, that gained momentum in Vermont and Massachusetts, and that has finally peaked today, as more states now recognize marriage equality than those that don't.
I am not denying the historic nature of all the momentum we're seeing today; it has moved me to tears several times, including the day that I got married (more about that later).
But let's go back to The Well of Loneliness, for a second. It's the story of a woman who self-identifies as a lesbian. Her father is aware of the peculiarity so he supports her without her being aware of it. Her mother keeps a safe distance from her. Fast forward (SPOILER ALERT) the woman's father dies and the mother comes to realize what her daughter is. She tells her daughter that she would "rather die a thousand deaths" than accept what her daughter was.
It's a terribly depressing book, but it's a remarkable snapshot in time, of a time when we imagine that gays were all desperately hiding and never came out.
The protagonist of the book, Stephen (named so because her father had his heart set on that name and wouldn't back down just because the newborn was a girl) realizes that her father knew about her and never loved her any less because of it. He read books, he did his research, he knew there was nothing he could do to save his daughter from her proclivities, so he did what he could do to nurture, love, and mentor her. This is a somewhat pivotal point in the book, because Stephen had hid her nature from her father, whom she adored.
When she realized that he had always accepted her it was a huge moment, one that emboldened her to come out to her mother, who had the opposite reaction.
Again, it's a terribly depressing book but one that I encourage everyone to read.