Gay, Gay And Lesbian

In the 65-year history of LGBTQ activism in the United States, the present moment stands out on the basis of gay marriage being legalized. At no other time would an observer have imagined that the LGBTQ movement was likely to succeed in such a manner that any gender can marry any other gender with the permission by the law (Stewart-winter

The 1960’s was a decade of great change in America, from civil rights for African Americans to equal rights for women, the American people were rising up and discovering that their voice in the political discourse was just as important as those they elected to office. One other such group that awakened and challenged the existing status quo that kept them silent and scared were the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities across the country. From the first large-scale associations of LGBT individuals that formed in San Francisco in the 1950’s to the political and social groups that came to be following the Stonewall Riots of 1969, they would speak out and not allow themselves to be kept down anymore. The aim of this paper is to establish the events and opinions that led up to the uprising at the Stonewall Inn such as perceived and real discrimination by police, medical professionals, and society itself, what actually happened at Stonewall, and how they sparked the modern LGBT movement in the United States over the next half century to the present day.

There are certainly various points in history that can be construed as trailblazing for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. One event in particular, however, sparked awareness and a call to action that previously could never have been conceptualized in the United States. This unforgettable incident, the Stonewall riots of 1969, altered the public’s view of the gay community and arguably jumpstarted the next revolution in an entirely new civil rights movement.

The following thesis will lay out the progression in the LGBTQIA movement along with the deficits that these individuals have encountered throughout history. An interdisciplinary perspective through historical,

While there have been many successes for promoting and enacting laws to help support gay and lesbian rights there still much more to be done to ensure such. In reading the Saylor text the first thing discuses is the “unique obstacle” in helping attain civil rights (Saylor 179). Civil rights for gay men and lesbians, is something that has been greatly opposed by religious groups where it sex marriage and in all homosexuality is deemed “flawed behavior” and not an “innate characteristic” (179). In regards to exit polls it is also regarded that only 4 percent of public voting is made have up so lesbian, gay men, and bisexuals. Other opposition for gay rights came in the 1950s with the anti-communist scare where gay people where “harassed” and mocked by politicians and police departments. Latter opposition that is extremely current today would be same sex marriage, which has brought in huge opposition between the federal and state courts. In all, while there have been many accomplishments in gay rights there is still more that must be accomplished regarding equal rights for

One’s gender identity represents who they are, whether they were born with male or female genitalia. Back in the 1900’s, “for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) folks in America, the efflorescence of sexual expression did not begin until the waning months of that decade in the heart of the nation’s then-largest bohemian enclave and gay ghetto, New York’s Greenwich Village” (Wolf). In the 60’s, being able to express who you were freely was pushed aside much too often. But because of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, their fight has helped people today be who they want to be without any discrimination. Over “four decades after the Stonewall riots, political leaders are now beginning to recognize the influence of the LGBT community, knocking down barriers to gay and lesbian participation in the military and nominating at least two transgender officials, for the first time in history, to senior posts in the federal government under the Obama administration” (Teal). Whether someone identifies as a man, woman, or neither, they are able to participate in any group regardless. Due to the Stonewall riots, no matter what no one can turn you down based off of your gender identity, which is causing political leaders to now think differently because of this monumental time in history where everyone can be accepted for who they want to

One of the minority groups that came into prominence during this tumultuous time were homophile activists who advocated for an assimilation of gays into society, and relied mostly on pacifist tactics. It wasn’t until the summer of 1969, in a Greenwich Village tavern, where a series of protests served as a catalyst to inspire gays to join together in the fight against inequality through more radical means; thus setting into motion the beginnings of modern American LGBT rights activism and Gay Pride.

In the recent years there has been a growing concern about the impact of homophobia. In the United States, few endeavors were made to make backing bunches supporting gay and lesbian connections until after World War II, albeit prewar gay life prospered in urban focuses, for example, Greenwich Village and Harlem amid the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. The interruptions of World War II permitted earlier detached gay men and ladies to meet as fighters, war laborers, and different volunteers evacuated from residential communities and posted around the world. More noteworthy mindfulness, combined with Senator Joseph McCarthy 's examination of gay people holding government occupations amid the mid 1950s, prompted the primary American-based political requests for reasonable treatment in psychological wellbeing, open strategy, and vocation. Until the passing of the Sexual Offences Bill in 1967, male homosexual activity was illegal. Gay men were frequently imprisoned for consensual sex with another man. Lesbianism was not illegal, but was similarly subject to public disapproval, or ignored.

Despite the dangers and difficulties involved, gay men and women were able to find places to meet. The Minorities Research Group (MRG) was formed in 1964, and provided isolated lesbians with resources and information about female homosexuality and the opportunity to meet other women” (Allan Horsfall 2014). “Through the 1980s, as the gay male community was decimated by the AIDS epidemic, demands

The LGBTQ community are living a life in danger in America. Regardless of the acceptance of same-sex marriage, there are a number problems the LGBTQ community have to face, like the many obstacles to acceptance and equality. In The New York Times article, “The Challenges That Remain for L.G.B.T. People After Marriage Ruling” by Liam Stack, he goes by talking about info that can be reliable with sources that work, with quotes that match with what he needs to say, and usefully using emotional appeals to persuade his audience that the LGBTQ community are in danger. Stack sets about his work of persuading his audience about what is going on in the world is by using strong logical and ethical appeals. In his writing he points out that the LGBTQ community faces discrimination, lack of transgender rights, health care and Immigration and Criminal equity reform.

The topic that the proposed book focuses on considers the contentious impact of the 1969 Stonewall Riots upon the struggle for LGBT+ rights. This potential monograph, entitled “Riots for Rights: the Debatable Influence of Stonewall,” pursues to furthermore enhance the argument concerning whether the 1969 Stonewall Riots began the public LGBT+ movement for further rights, or if the converse occurred, wherein this momentous protest instead the culminated the LGBT+ efforts of the previous years, merely pushing it further into public discussion. In the modern era, LGBT+ rights still undergo fierce argument and debate, and so the proposed book’s topic certainly holds relevance in both a historical and political context that continues into the present day. Furthermore, another key importance for the publication of this monograph stands that while the voluminous documentation of the progression in LGBT+ rights Post-Stonewall exists, serious evaluation and comparison of the rights already developing before the 1969 Riots became widely publicized. “Riots for Rights: the Debatable Influence of Stonewall” would expand upon these facets and further the historical understanding of the still-evolving history of the modern-day LGBT+ movement.

Whether it is okay for an individual to publicly identify oneself as gay, lesbian or transgender to society is still a source of confusion for individuals in this situation. This is why some individuals might not choose to reveal their actual sexuality to the public. Some groups such as religious or political groups might not approve the sexual identities of some individuals. Unfortunately, this leads to hypocrisy since many individuals will lie about their true identity when they seeking power or approval of these groups. Some of these individuals identities are exposed without their consent and this is where the term outing comes into place, but what exactly does the term outing mean? “Outing is the act of disclosing

LGBTQ social movements have evolved over time from liberationist politics of the 1970s to an enormous contemporary focus on gay and lesbian marriage rights, a controversial and arguably assimilationist priority for mainstream LGBTQ advocacy groups. Different forms of activism have approached assimilationism versus societal reformation or preservation of unique constructions of queer identities with a myriad of arguments. In “The Trouble with Normal” by Michael Warner, the author focuses primarily on a criticism of gay marriage rights activism in which he posits that all marriage is “selective legitimacy.” He points to other LGBT movements and issues as more worthy of pursuing, particularly intersectional pursuits of equal rights for people regardless of coupled status. In “Marital Discord: Understanding the Contested Place of Marriage in the Lesbian and Gay Movement” authors Mary Bernstein and Verta Taylor give a snapshot history of LGBTQ activism since the 1970s and offer similar arguments as Warner about the heteronormative and neoliberal nature of placing the fight for legal marriage rights at the forefront of LGBTQ activism, although they do also introduce emerging improvements with the increasingly intersectional awareness of modern advocacy efforts.

Just as the television industry began advancing their views on the subject, politicians also began changing their stance on the subject. In 1991, the year that L.A. Law broadcast the first lesbian kiss, James Hormel endowed the Gay and Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library (Franke-Ruta, par. 1). Hormel was a leader in creating gay institutions in his hometown, San Francisco. Hormel was also a politician. While in the spotlight for being gay, he was also nominated in 1997 to be the ambassador of Luxemburg (Franke-Ruta, par. 1). Backtrack to 1994 when several colleagues challenged his work ethic due his sexual identity (Franke-Ruta, par. 3). To give us some examples of the way politicians degraded homosexuals, Franke-Ruta states “some politicians cited the Bible as to why they were appalled by homosexuality, while others compare it to a condition such as alcoholism” (Franke-Ruta, par. 3). Despite the bad publicity due to these individuals, the political aspect of homosexuality is still continually changing.

“We’re here, we’re queer, get over it.” In 1990, these words, shouted and displayed proudly on signs waved by the activist group, Queer Nation, were revolutionary. Never, not since the Stonewall Riots, had non-straight, non-cis people been so vocal about their existence and demanded acceptance – something that straight people take for granted on a daily basis. However, in the years since the Riots, LGBT activism has become much more mainstream, no longer whispered about behind closet doors or something to be wholly ashamed of. Gay marriage is legal in all 50 United States, something that has been fought for since the conception of the LGBT movement. In fact, gay couples are routinely being featured on popular television and other forms of media. Some might say that in 2016, the dreams of the rioters in Stonewall have been realized. Marriage rights and the spotlight on nighttime television; equality seems to truly be right on the horizon.

Most nations in the modern world are conscious about morals and values of their culture on lesbian, bisexual, and gay populations. Activities and ideas on sexual relationships that have emerged recently are deemed controversial to what most cultures value. Sexual orientation has been and remains a taboo topic even in the modern society. In the past, all people were taught to adhere to their cultural values as opposed to what is experienced today. The teachings included the value for marriage, respect for parents and community, and self-respect of an individual. The morals are not adhered to in the modern world; the role of