Publication details
The End of the Gay Rights Revolution: How Hubris and Overreach Threaten Gay Freedom by Professor Ronan McCrea (UCL Faculty of Laws), published by Polity Press (November 2025).
Abstract
In The End of the Gay Rights Revolution: How Hubris and Overreach Threaten Gay Freedom (Polity, 2025), Professor McCrea argues that while the gay rights movement has achieved considerable progress over the past fifty years, these hard-earned freedoms are more vulnerable than most people realise. Cultural shifts towards greater sexual freedom that once drove progress are now weakening, while social and political changes have emboldened new sources of opposition.
The book argues that, for the successes of the gay rights revolution to endure, a fundamental reconsideration of its goals, strategies, and assumptions is necessary to ensure that the freedoms gained are not only preserved but also strengthened for future generations.
Featuring praise from public figures such as Stephen Fry, Mary McAleese, Yascha Mounk, and Yuval Noah Harari, the book has been described as ‘a convincing wake-up call’ and ‘a timely and thought-provoking reckoning with the triumphs and vulnerabilities of the gay rights revolution.’