Summary: The Homosexual In America

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

The issue of gays in the military has been controversial in the United States for many decades. Over these decades there have been many different proposals as to what approach to take in order to handle the situation of homosexuals in the military. However, in 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for President of the United States, he made a promise to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military if he was elected (Washington Post). Bill Clinton followed through with his promise, and in December 1993 he instituted “a defense directive that military applicants should not to be asked about their sexual orientation” (Washington Post). This is now known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was the result

“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

Being gay in America is difficult. Being gay in America is even more difficult when you’re not quite gay. Being a closeted not-quite gay woman in America, surrounded by Indian immigrants is pretty difficult, too. It’s a bit like staring in a James Bond film, if all of the characters suddenly developed Bollywood accents, and marginally less homicide. Also, I may be exaggerating, because I don’t attract nearly as many Bond Girls, no matter how much I’d like to. Even understanding what “not-quite gay” means for me was and is a struggle. I suppose a common saying is true: if you can’t find the gay cousin in your family, then you are the gay cousin. And it’s true; in my jumbled mess of aunts, uncles, and third-step cousins once removed, there hasn’t been a single person to come out. Or, if there has, we certainly never talk about them.

In the most publicized gay bashing, the dead body of Adam R. Schindler Jr., an American naval radioman, was found battered and disfigured in a public toilet in a park in Japan where he had been serving [Sterngold]. After revealing his homosexuality to his peers in the army, he had been left unrecognizably mutilated and beaten to death. In response, in 1993, the Clinton administration initiated “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” [DADT] which meant that military officers could not investigate a soldier’s sexual preference without reason and a soldier should not voluntarily disclose it [McGowan 4]. Historically, the US military had never directly banned gays, only their actions of sodomy, but a change occurred during the World Wars after the Christian

Homosexuality has had a long battle through America, the thought of homosexuality was a mental disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-II Code 302 Sexual Deviation Sub-Section 302.0 Homosexuality. It stays “this category is for individuals whose sexual interests are directed primarily toward objects other than people

After World War II the U.S. government composed a list of those thought to be high security risks, Homosexuals were placed on this list, reason being that the U.S State Department thought they lack emotional stability contrary to heterosexual persons. Homosexuals were denied federal job applications, about 5,000 of them were discharged from the military and 400 were fired from government jobs because people may have suspected them as being homosexual.The FBI kept track of the lives of homosexuals. The mail they received, what businesses they

II.By listening to a brief history of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy you will gain further knowledge of where we have come since the last 60 years

In the Introduction to LGBT+ Studies class we discussed many themes of the history of the LGBT+ community, these themes include; oppression, fighting for our visibility and having it delayed, and a sort of power within the community. The LGBT+ community has gone through an immense amount of oppression, having to fight its way into the light and having it be pushed aside multiple times. In a historical context when the LGBT+ community started to show itself so to speak was around the 1920’s there were the first gay rights movements starting, and surprisingly it was the start of some acceptance. However, when World War II began in 1939 it oppressed the movement, as well as setting it back by gay men being denied from the military because

Harvey Milk once said “it takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions.” He lived in a time when there was discrimination of homosexuals and he experienced it; being the first gay man elected to Board of Supervisors in San Francisco. In the 1940’s and 50’s homosexual people were discriminated it was viewed as a disease and was described as “sociopathic personality disturbance. Homosexual activities were illegal and people were imprisoned for having consensual sex with another man. Despite the dangers and difficulties, homosexual people found a way to meet and confide in themselves. Most wrote books as a way to express themselves; it gave

During the 1960’s to be gay in the United States was essentially a crime. It was the time of the “Lavender Scare,” in which thousands of people were fired from the federal government for no other reason than their sexuality. The fear stemmed from Cold War concerns that homosexuals would be a “security risk,” exploitable by communists (Sherouse) (Sears). Dozens of anti-gay legislation was in existence, specifically prohibiting employment of “homosexuals and other sex perverts” in civil service positions, and subsequently creating a president of discrimination throughout the country (Sears).

The social group of gay men in America remains one of the most debated in sociological and political discourse. Homosexuality has long been a neglected topic in social sciences but since 1970s, it has become a fruitful filed of research. Gay men in the US have long been an unprotected social group that being afraid of discrimination and violence preferred to live in the shadow. However, over the last decade, the life of gay men in the US has undergone the significant changes and it is important to trace the historical progression towards the current situation with the attitudes toward this group in society and the legal rights it has. The aim of this research is to study the social group of gay men in the US focusing on its history, the statistics of its population in the country, the privileges it has and the oppression it

The next topic is sexuality. Of course America will be used for my example because we are definitely making progression with almost every step we take. Homosexuality has definitely been a touchy subject when linking it to a specific religion. Many Christian followers I know believe that homosexuality is a sin and those who are homosexual will be punished in the afterlife by going to hell; some, however believe the complete opposite! On a social media site, I saw a Hindu girl from India being stoned to death. Although there are these types of extremists, America has legalized gay marriage in all 50 states, which is a huge milestone! Religion has definitely changed in “allowing” more people to be their selves and making them realize that no matter

Homosexuality has been defined and constructed around the character of sexual identity, whether by nature or nurture, biology or culture, genetics or environment. In researching this topic you will find that homosexuals were quite comfortable in Germany prior to 1933 and their persecution by the Nazi’s. The discrimination and persecutions of homosexual was traumatic and continued many years after German liberation, and even the unification of Germany.