Historian to address ‘Gay Miami before 1940’

Julio Capó Jr., associate professor of history at Florida International University, will discuss his book “Welcome to Fairyland: Gay Miami Before 1940” at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

Capó is a transnational historian whose research and teaching interests include modern U.S. history, especially the United States’ relationship to the Caribbean and Latin America. He addresses how gender and sexuality have historically intersected with constructions of ethnicity, race, class, nation, age and ability.

“Welcome to Fairyland: Queer Miami before 1940” has received six honors, including the Charles S. Sydnor Award from the Southern Historical Association for the best book written on the U.S. South.

Capó recently curated an exhibition at History Miami Museum titled, “Queer Miami: A History of LGBTQ Communities.” His work has appeared in the Journal of American History, Radical History Review, Diplomatic History, Journal of American Ethnic History and Modern American History.

A former journalist, Capó has written for Time, the Washington Post, the Miami Herald and other outlets. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of American History, is co-chair of the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History and has held fellowships at Yale University and the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.