While I am often displeased when a discussion of a sensitive topic becomes confrontational and "angsty", I also believe that if we cannot discuss the subject matter in photographs and the story they are telling, then this forum would be limited to dull, repetitive technical information, and I don't think that is optimal. If anything, I wish there was MORE thoughtful discussion about content and the meaning of photographs and less technical info sharing.
I can only speak for myself, but I find that one unfortunate consequence of many discussions on the subject of human sexuality and gender identity is that for people whose identities fall within the "alternative/non-binary spectrum" (I am in that set), there are things that get said in discussion that act as triggers that spark panic, defensiveness, or similar negative response. In other words, many LGBTQ+ people have "hot buttons" that are easily triggered and the response isn't easily suppressed. It is the nature of the LGBTQ+ psyche: society has damaged us. (No, I don't speak for everybody. Though I suspect that plenty of people 40 years my junior fare better, having grown up in a much more liberal, rational society)
TFC has illustrated a very important point, as it pertains to the photographs collated in the book this topic is supposedly about: before we had labels to describe/define what homosexuality is, there was only behavior, not identity. With the creation of labels that define identity, we've created opportunity to make community, make a place in society, craft a meaningful life that encourages a sense of belonging, etc., but we've also given a name to something that people can aim their discomfort and disapproval at. We've given people a (relatively) clearly defined target to which they can aim their hate, and in the past 70 years we've been navigating the consequences of that. On the upside, we can just be people, without having to explain ourselves. In 2015, I was finally able to marry the man I've been partnered to for the past 22 years. Prejudice and judgement are less conspicuous and (hopefully) less likely to find harbor in the minds of our species. Good things have come from investigating the spectrum of sexuality, and presenting the facts without judgement, without perceiving differences as pathological.
I, for one, am glad someone collated such a unique collection of photographs, and I'm pleased that - for me - those photographs create a sense of legacy. I am comforted in the knowledge that although their lives were probably not easy, there were people who found a way to express love with one another all those years ago, and I can look into their faces and feel kinship and belonging.