Dr. Eric Cervini

Dr. Eric Cervini was born in California in 1992 and raised in Round Rock, Texas. He attended Westwood High School, graduating with an International Baccalaureate diploma in 2010. Cervini pursued higher education at Harvard College, where he earned a B.A. in History in 2014. Following this, he received a Master of Philosophy in historical studies in 2015 from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as the Lionel de Jersey Harvard Scholar. He continued his research at Cambridge with a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, completing his Ph.D. in history in 2019. His doctoral work focused on gender and sexuality in ancient society.

Cervini’s debut book, “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States of America,” published in June 2020, became a New York Times Bestseller. This work, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, focused on the life of Frank Kameny, a significant figure in the gay rights movement pre-Stonewall. The book drew from firsthand accounts, declassified FBI records, and personal documents, offering a comprehensive look at the homophile movement and the legal battles for LGBTQ+ rights. He also examined the intersections of the early LGBTQ+ rights movement with other social justice movements of the time.

In addition to his writing, Cervini is an Emmy-winning creator and Executive Producer of “The Book of Queer,” a docu-series on queer history available on HBO Max. In March 2024, he co-launched Allstora, an online book marketplace, with RuPaul Charles, where Cervini serves as CEO. He also curates “Eric’s (Very Gay) Book Club” on Allstora, highlighting gay literature. Cervini is a Board of Directors member for the Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus and an advisor for the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C.