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The Counterculture Of The Early 1960 ' S

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The counterculture of the early 1960’s and 70’s in Western society comprised a major occurrence of people’s traditional beliefs differing. Points of view considering the rights of women, race relations (notably, the African American Civil Rights Movement), the war in Vietnam and “hippie culture” (experimenting in psychoactive drugs especially) in particular altered dramtically. The Stonewall Riots took place during the early hours of the 28th of June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a pub that was owned by the Mafia at the time, in New York City. These riots were in retaliation to police raids in gay bars that were considered routine back then.
"A number of incidents were happening simultaneously. There was no one thing that happened or one person, there was just... a flash . . . of mass anger." - Gay rights activist, Craig Rodwell
They have become the defining event that marked the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Up until then their request were more or less blatantly dismissed. Homosexuals have known to be imprisoned, sent to psychiatric institutions and outcast because in that era homosexuality was considered a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association and had been for almost a century; this was reconsidered December 15, 1974. It was the gays’ turn to gain their rights. They were determined and weren’t going to let anything no matter how big or small get in their way.

The Gay Rights Movement was

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