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Argumentative Essay On The Gay Rights Movement

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“The gay rights movement is not a party. It is not a lifestyle… It is not about sin or salvation. The gay rights movement is an integral part of the American promise of freedom” (Urvashi Vaid). Many people were not supportive of the minority of people coming out to the world and becoming a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The actions of the many who did not accept the idea of being gay, lesbian or transgender, would interfere with their confidence and freedom of being who they want to be. The idea of gay rights was not socially accepted since it had differed from the social norm of a male and female sexually attracted to one another. However, there would be a ‘safe haven’ in most cities for the LGBTQ+ community to thrive and reveal themselves towards the people that truly accepted them for who they are. Although there were very few ‘safe havens’ around, these places would be tormented by the police and many of the people in them would become oppressed since they wanted to be in a place of acceptance. From June 28, 1969 through July 1, 1969, the gay community faced massive oppression from police raids in Greenwich Village, NYC at Stonewall Inn, which caused them to start a riot which ignited a major conflict for the sake of their own safety and freedom. This riot allowed them to show their oppressors that they are human as well and are able to fight back for themselves and for the future generations ahead of them. Due to the lack of a formal compromise between the gay community and the police, many people questioned as well as oppressed them because of certain religious aspects and social norms, but the conflict resulted in the development of the Gay Liberation Front and allowing the LGBTQ+ community to freely express themselves. Within many religions, especially in Christianity, it is said that same-sex relations are a sin. Since most of the Americans around this time were Christian, many of them believed that the relations between a girl and a girl or a guy and guy were so foreign due to the belief that God created men and women so that only these genders could be together. Organizations were made to stop the gay community from flourishing. They also made many feel like there was something wrong

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