LGBT History: A Response To Jeffrey Aaron Robinson

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

Many people from the United States hold the belief that being gay is something that has always been considered to be okay. They believe that it is just a given. Despite people’s current beliefs on the subject, for a very long time, it was something that was widely believed to be taboo. In the past, people were imprisoned due to their sexuality. Regardless, throughout the decades, people have pushed for the widespread acceptance of people who are part of the LGBT community. Today, homophobia still exists in some parts of the United States, but we have come a long way since the early 1900s.

It was not until the twelfth century that homosexuality started to be condemned. This condemnation proved to live through then until now. Due to the fact that America incorporated these early views into its early laws, even the most bland of today's sex acts were seen as unlawful (“Homosexuality and Mental Health”). Since then, these laws have changed, however, there is still a primarily negative connotation on homosexuals when coming from a church or legal standpoint concerning the masses of America.

“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 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Queer community also referred to as LGBTQQ is no stranger to oppression. “In 1600-1800, colonists discovered buggery (sex between men or between women) among Native Americans. In 1869, Dr. Karoly Benkert coined the term “homosexuality” to describe same-sex acts. In 1870-1910, homosexuals

Fifty years ago, in the early sixties, being gay was illegal in every providence in Canada, and in every single state in the United States. In the 1950’s, many gay individuals saw the men who had devoted their lives to being out and they knew what a horrible life that made for those men. This caused many gay men to “pass,” or live their entire lives in the closet. They would marry women for the soul purpose of protecting their secret. Before the stonewall riots, many Americans did not even believe gay people existed. Due to the lack of education and bigotry amongst Americans, being gay was very dangerous. Sexual acts in the gay community were commonly done in unsafe places and in public because they simply had nowhere else to go. Homosexuality was not just criminalized it was medicalized (Bawer). If you were gay, you could be subject to go into hospitals and were viewed by society as having a disability and a disease. In April of 1965, the very first gay protest took place in Washington DC. This protest was revolutionary and it began to pave the way for the future of gay men and women and reshape gay culture. In 1969, not long after the first gay protests of 1965, Canada decriminalized homosexual sexual acts in the privacy of one’s own home (Guerre). This was groundbreaking and gave the gay community hope that change was coming. Also, taking place in 1969 were the historic stonewall

Before continuing onto an analysis of how the Stonewall Riots happened and what came of them, one must first take a closer look at the events and opinions that came before and brought upon the anger and frustration that many LGBT individuals felt on that fateful night. According to many historians, the years before Stonewall were considered a “dark age” for LGBT individuals, where their very existence was

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,

The idea of being gay had been under wraps since the beginning of time. In fifteen thirty, Henry VII created the Buggery Act, defining homosexuality as a crime punishable by death. Later, in eighteen eighty-five, Parliament passed an amendment brought forth by Henry Du Pre Labouchere making it legal to prosecute gay men. This law did not apply to lesbian women, because the idea of two women being in any type of romantic relationship was unthinkable at the time. The Gay Rights Movement ignited after the Stonewall riots in June 1969. The movement started right towards the end of the civil rights movement, so the nation was growing weary of constant protests, peaceful or not. Martin Luther King Jr. died just over one year before Stonewall, leaving America little time to recover from the end of one major movement to another. The propaganda quickly spread across the country and gained national attention that has stayed relevant since then. Stonewall was the first major event that shook the United States and made the the importance of lesbian, gay, bisexal, and transgender (LGBT) rights known. In the 1980s and 90s, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic once again brought major national attention to the LGBT community- but this time in a negative way.

Willett argues that the world view has changed, with the help of so many activists, bringing about fundamental changes in society’s attitudes. Willett talks about the changes made up until 1997, however since then attitudes and legislation relating to homosexual people has become even more understanding and tolerant. In the early 20th century, gay and lesbian people were marginalised to the point of invisibility and demonization . He argues that before 1975, homosexual laws were some of the harshest laws that the government introduced. This was because there was a general sense of homophobia after the 1960’s, calling homosexual behaviour, sexual depravity. He cites Barry York demanding conjugal rights for prisoners to prevent prisons from being “breeding grounds” for homosexuality . He also draws on the homosexual attitudes in the paper, such as the Tribune in 1973 which states how John Sendy wanted the government “to oppose gay liberation”. However, Willett also uses evidence of people trying to change this law and fight for gay rights, such as Whitlam in 1970, who expressed support for decriminalisation of homosexual acts, and how in 1972, Lex Watson set out law reform abolishing all laws regarding discrimination against gay couples and sexual orientation, race and marriage status. He demanded public education campaign in schools to eradicate anti-gay attitudes. Willett suggests these actions helped to reshape Australian society creating more understanding. By 1997 there was wider public acceptance and tolerance of homosexual people, with Mardi Gras parade being popularised, the decriminalisation of male homosexual behaviour, acceptance of lesbians and the recognition of gay custody rights in families and much stronger anti-discrimination laws, all creating a powerful sense

Although during the early modern period the term “homosexuality” may not have existed, the persecution of homosexuals was a vicious practice which was sweeping across society in Early Modern Europe. Without a name, homosexuality and homosexual identities were heavily diluted down to simple definitions which would set the standard for how homosexual identities developed and how homosexual individuals were treated for many years to come. This essay will discuss the criminalization of sodomy and the demonization of homosexual individuals in Early Modern European society. It will also argue that these brutal practices and

Everybody has their own reservations on homosexuality and the laws regarding homesexuality. Many people think of homosexuality as unnatural or a choice people make. There is also research being done to discover a gay gene to link homosexuality to birth. It is even considered that the battle for gay rights is the modern day civil rights movement. Just like in the 1960’s with African Americans, the government has began to regulate the personal lives of those who are openly homesexual. It is becoming a major part of the presidential election since Barack Obama announced his support of gay marriage.The controversy of homosexuality is centered around people 's moral objections and the fight for gay rights.

1. Homosexuality is illegal in over seventy-five countries all over the world. I personally grew up thinking I was a mistake for being attracted to girls, and as a direct result of institutionalized homophobia, I suffer through countless micro-aggressions every day. When Robert Graves was my age, he survived similar emotional trials due to being attracted to boys in the brutal British boarding school environment, which is difficult—if not impossible—to recover from. Today, however, he is known instead for his war service and prolific writings, and in his memoir, the soldiery is the main showcase. His portrayal of identity experimentation can be interpreted as an example for how homosexuality was—and is—treated. Graves’ autobiography is actually a testament to the subtler forms of bigotry. Within the Charterhouse community, Graves provides examples of his reactions to homophobia, as well as the later culmination of that internalized bigotry. As a queer person, he struggles with the harmful power dynamic of predatory teachers and older boys, and as an intellectual, he expresses the similar struggle of a desire to be accepted—which are often the same assertions still on the lips of modern queer activists.

7 The twentieth-century British public demonstrated a fundamental dislike of homosexuality when polled until relatively late. 8 This attitude has undergone a dramatic reversal over the last fifteen years, marked by David Cameron's apology for the act in 201X. 9 10 It is also worth noting that structural initiatives in historiography did not exist as mainstays of public history until recently. For example, LGBT History Month only emerged in 1994, mostly as the result of American activism in academia. Amidst a more general liberal malaise over historical and current homophobia, it can be seen that the current promotion of Turing is, in part, a politicised attempt to atone for what is now mostly seen as an embarrassing, cruel mistake.

The Imitation Game (2014) directed by Morten Tyldum is a carefully crafted film that depicts the life of a British scientist named Alan Turing. The film exposes the audience to Turing’s formative time in school, his vital work during World War II, and his troubling time after he was persecuted for his sexual orientation. Though the film focuses on Turing’s groundbreaking and often considered crucial work on the German enigma code, it reveals that the British government and society, during that time, treated homosexuals harshly. This indirect narrative in the film highlights the personal consequences of the treatment of homosexuals was used as a tool to further the cause of LGBT rights during and after the time of production. The film itself was also a product of the rise in the LGBT rights movement across the world. In this paper, I argue that the film The Imitation Game was a product of a series of event that occurred within the LGBT movement, and was used as a tool to further the cause.