Ben Egerman: A Gay Little History of Maryland

Picture this: A Baltimore librarian takes his research on Maryland’s LGBTQ+ history, presents it in a series of fundraisers at the Club Car cocktail bar, then turns it into a book with the help of Baltimore bookstore Red Emma’s! From trans horse thieves in 19th century Baltimore to Southern Maryland’s 1960s secret gay getaway, these lovingly researched stories span 150 years and take place all across the state. The first book ever published on Maryland’s LGBTQ+ history, A Gay Little History of Maryland: Volume 1 proves that our state’s story is far less straight and narrow than you think. We can’t wait for you to meet Ben Egerman, the librarian behind this project, at the Ivy on September 3rd. Books will be available for sale at the event. RSVP here! Ben Egerman is a public librarian, historian, and homosexual who has focused on local LGBTQ+ history research and education since 2018. Starting in 2025, Ben began turning his research into bite-sized, self-published zines, sold at local bookstores and at his popular “gay little history nights” at The Club Car, a queer bar and art gallery in Baltimore. In June 2026, working with Red Emma’s Bookstore, the first six of these zines were compiled together and published as volume one of a gay little history of Maryland.