Research Paper On Henry Gerber

The movement of the gay and lesbian population in the United States is one that has been in progress since the early 1900s, and is still facing overwhelming controversy and backlash today. The push for gay liberation in a country founded on Christian morals and beliefs has subsequently led to struggles over equality of marriage, adoption, jobs, and healthcare. One side of the controversy argues that every individual deserves the same rights, while the opposing mindset argues that being homosexual puts you into a group of people that is different, and will therefore be treated as such.

In 2016 President Obama named the Stonewall Inn as the first National monument to LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Questioning, Asexual, Intersex) rights. In history classes, we learned that movements can lead to progression to break down and change constitutional law, and the mindset of society. We hear about the civil rights movement, women’s rights and even the labor movement; but seldom do we hear about the gay rights movement. Many people say that the LGBTQIA community has been fighting since 1912 or WWII, but all can agree that the Stonewall riots started gay liberation and changed the LGBTQ community forever.

Life for most homosexuals during the first half of the Twentieth century was one of hiding, being ever so careful to not give away their true feelings and predilections. Although the 1920s saw a brief moment of openness in American society, that was quickly destroyed with the progress of the Cold War, and by default, that of McCarthyism. The homosexuals of the 50s “felt the heavy weight of medical prejudice, police harassment and church condemnation … [and] were not able to challenge these authorities.” They were constantly battered, both physically and emotionally, by the society that surrounded them. The very mention or rumor of one’s homosexuality could lead to the loss of their family, their livelihood and, in some cases, their

The history of the gay rights movement goes as far back as the late 19th century. More accurately, the quest by gays to search out others like themselves and foster a feeling of identity has been around since then. It is an innovative movement that seeks to change existing norms and gain acceptance within our culture. By 1915, one gay person said that the gay world was a "community, distinctly organized" (Milestones 1991), but kept mostly out of view because of social hostility. According to the Milestones article, after World War II, around 1940, many cities saw their first gay bars open as many homosexuals began to start a networking system. However, their newfound visibility only backfired on them, as

“Sex was something mysterious which happened to married couples and Homosexuality was never mentioned; my mother told me my father did not believe it existed at all ‘until he joined the army’. As a child, I was warned about talking to ‘strange men’, without any real idea what this meant. I was left to find out for myself what it was all about.” Mike Newman, who was a child during the 1950s America recalls how homosexuality was perceived during the post-World War II era (F). This sexual oppression was not only in Newman’s household, but in almost everyone’s. While the civil rights movement began in the mid-1950s and ended late 1960s, the LGBT community started to come out of the closet slowly. The gay rights movement stemmed from the civil rights movement

The early homosexual groups in the U.S. proved that gay people also play important roles in the society, and should not be humiliated whatsoever.

The conflict was between the police of New York City and Gay Right actives outside of the Stonewall Inn, a bar were the gay rights movement was born. In 1969, homosexual relationships was illegal in New York City. The gay bars were where gay men and lesbians could socialize in safe place away from the public harassment, but many of those bars were subject to regular police harassment. A gathering location for many young gay men, lesbians, and transgender individual was Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village, which was an establishment which would run without a liquor

Next, the person that will be discussed is Henry Gerber and what he did to the sexual minority past. Henry founded the first gay rights association in the United States and it was called the Society for Human Rights (SHR). It was founded in the year 1924. Henry had based this off of Magnus Hirschfeld Scientific Humanitarian Committee. Germany was the starting point for the current gay rights movement, so then Henry Gerber had started the Society for Human Rights in the United States. This association was the first known homosexual organization.

Stonewall was, in short, the first “battle” of the ongoing war for gay rights in the United States.

Homosexuals have been oppressed since before the word existed. Even in the 21st century, gays still face constant discrimination. Still, the world is much more gay-friendly than it used to be. Crucial to this change was the gay rights movement of the 1970s. The 2008 film Milk depicts the life and activism of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold public office.

In addition to strengthening the Civil Rights of the African American community there were several other societal groups that believed they too were not being treated equally. Women and members of the gay community are two of these groups. Beginning its fight for equality in the 1950s as the Mattachine Society, the gay community initially used the education and research approach to combat homosexuality (Carter, 2011). Used by gays to obtain a mental illness diagnosis, this was a way for gays to be tolerated and provided therapy instead being sent to prison (Carter, 2011). One individual that took an alternate route to champion the cause for gay rights was Franklin E. Kameny. Frank Kameny’s reason for advocating for gay rights was that he worked for the government’s Army Map Service until 1957 when he was fired for being gay (Carter, 2011).

For some gay men and women, just being a homosexual in the late 20th century meant being a part of the movement- no political agenda necessary. Sexual politics, after all, have a visceral quality that isn’t easy to ignore, which D’Emilio and Freedman attest to when they recognize that “gayness itself symbolized an

In 1977 Harvey Milk, a representative from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors introduced a form of gay rights protecting people from being fired from their jobs, he also led a campaign against an initiative that forbade homsexual teachers. A year later he was killed by Dan White, who only got seven years of prison for his acts. This lead to a riot by over 5,000 protestors at San Francisco’s City Hall. The riot caused damage that costed thousands of dollars worth of

However, though the Nazis tried, Hirschfeld made his mark. Henry Gerber, inspired by Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Sciences, founded the first known American gay rights organization, and all across the globe, similar groups cropped up, some of them even bearing Hirschfeld’s name. Today, people who perform outstanding services to sexual sciences can even

Throughout history, generations of Americans have been defined by the freedoms they fought for. Our founding fathers obviously fought for liberty from England, women at the turn of the 20th century bravely campaigned for the right to vote, and the youth of the 1950s and 1960s are perhaps best known for championing racial equality. In many, many years, the historians that reflect upon society today will probably agree that the most substantial battle waged by this generation is the one for LGBT rights. Great strides have been made for the gay community over the past several years, culminating with the Supreme Court ruling to recognize gay marriages as legal in all fifty states. However, the fight for homosexual equality is far from over. Despite having gained the right to marry-which was seen by many as the main focus of the gay rights movement- many people are still discriminated against in a variety of arenas every day because of their sexuality. One such sector is that of adoption. Although their inability to reproduce may make them appear to be the ideal candidates for adoption, many groups feel that gay couples should be prohibited from adopting due to religious or moral convictions. However, a strong case can certainly be made for allowing homosexual adoptions, namely because homosexuals already regularly adopt without incident, research has proven that gay parenting is not harmful to children, and it would support adoption in general.