The Origin Of The Lgbtq Movement

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.

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

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

Gay liberation throughout the United States had a purpose for lesbians and gay men to have gay lifestyles be normal. Gay liberation affected politics because gay men and lesbians wanted to inform their peers and family, which changed how citizens would view their sexual orientation. The gay liberation took place during the 1960’s through the 1980’s in which changed many cultures. The culture in the United States changed dramatically because during the 1960s through 1980s , there was an AIDS outbreak. AIDS was a sickness after HIV that would cause an individual’s body to weaken, therefore United States citizens would link AIDS to people who were gay or lesbian. For instance, David Rayside compares the United States to Britain, “After World War II, however, Britain once again stood out in the extent to public anxieties about sexuality were fanned and legal regulation of homosexual activity policed”(40) and “British authorities were especially preoccupied with the condemnation and strict containment of homsexuality.”(40). Homosexuality affected politics because authorities would prioritize the gays and lesbians before anything else. There were clear observations that governments from Britain and United States were not in favor for homosexuality, therefore attempting to change people's views on homosexuality so gays and lesbians would not be accepted into the society. Being accepted into a society requires majority of citizens to approve of other’s decisions. For example, citizens viewing gays or lesbians in public without attempting to discriminate their sexuality. The women’s movement was similar to the gay liberation because it affected politics greatly by hierarchies being

The next thing I will be talking about is the Mattachine Society. The Mattachine Society was founded in 1950, and it was considered one of the earliest gay rights movement in the United States. Harry Hay and some of his friends had started this group to protect and form a

In 1965 during the Civil Rights Movement, was the first gay rights demonstration which led to the gay liberation movement in the 70’s. Being such an impactful commemoration it inspired more liberating groups in the growing gay and lesbian world such as: feminist movements, record labels, music festivals and the National Organization for Women. This quickly evolved into acceptance in a place of worship when the first gay minister was ordained in ’72. Soon after, several large political groups formed in support of the growing “outing” of a gay society in a stand for gay rights. (Morris, 2017)

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 LGBTQ community has struggled for decades to receive equal treatment but despite many advancements, this group of people is still not treated justly. The prevalent discrimination and prejudice enacted against the LGBTQ community can be witnessed on accounts of the Stonewall Riots and laws that affect the community such as not allowing gay men to donate blood, sexual orientation in connection to the military, et cetera. The gay rights movement has united to eradicate these issues through support of the LBGTQ community and to help people understand the process, timing, advantages, dangers, and pitfalls of coming out, as well as recent local and international rulings of the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage and the methods, laws, and attitudes of having children.

The conditions of the 1960s primed the gay rights movement for an awakening. At this time, the “increased radicalism of the late-Sixties racial and antiwar movements was just manifesting

Gay rights movements in the US can be traced back to the Stonewall Riots that occurred following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City at 3a.m on June 28th, 1969 (“Should Gay Marriage Be Legal?”). In the 1950’s and 1960’s, gay Americans were faced to a harsh anti gay legal system, thus taking away their rights for marriage. This resulted in the Stonewall Riots. Nowadays, 92 percent of the LGBT youth say they hear negative messages about the LGBT, their top sources being school, the internet, and their peers (Growing Up LGBT In America). American youth tends to have many hardships thrown at them by those who aren't like them creating a barrier between each other. F The hate against the LGBT is a major problem in america, stopping us from being a united

Although marriage has a long history it has become a major facet in the social life of the nation.50 years ago almost every state criminalized homosexual activity. The federal government would not hire people who were openly gay. Many openly gay men couldn’t even be permitted in the military. Despite the fact that there were little to none gay originations in the early 1970s a burst of gay activism unleashed the stonewall riots in Greenwich Village. (Davies)” The Stonewall riots were inspired LGBT people throughout the country to organize in support of

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.

Throughout history, society’s views of homosexuality and of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) have changed. These views have changed how the members of this community feel about their personal identity as a whole. Over the last ten years, homosexuality and the LGBTQ community have become more accepted in society. In fact, a recent victory for the LGBTQ community occurred in June of 2015 when gay marriage become legalized in all fifty states. Despite the immense torture that members of the LGBTQ have received over decades, they are slowly becoming more accepted in today’s society. As society begins to become more tolerant with different ideals, the new and younger generations will continue to become more accepting of the people who identify as members of the LGBTQ community. These members will become more comfortable in their own skin and be allowed the same opportunities so other members of society.

Homosexuality has been an issue for the public for an extremely long time dating back to even Ancient Rome and Greek. Especially with the birth of Christianity, the religious society has been persecuting anyone claiming homosexuality, forcing people to hide their own sexuality for centuries. It is important to understand and know the past of the homsexuality to understand the reason for their fight and the mentality of their opposition. Homosexuality has never been accepted into the norms of society and was even viewed as a mental disease by the American Psychiatric Association (Bowman). Not until a few decades ago has the movement for gay rights began to kick off. The event that really set off the movement was the Stonewall Riot of 1969. “New York’s gay community had grown weary of the police department targeting gay clubs, a majority of which had already been closed. The crowd on the street watched quietly as Stonewall’s employees were arrested, but when three drag queens and a lesbian were forced into the paddy wagon, the crowd began throwing bottles at the police” (“Stonewall”). This event is regarded as the foundation for the modern gay rights movement including the formation of many gay, lesbian, and bisexual civil rights organizations.

Diversity has always been a key component of American society. From its beginnings, the United States has struggled with deciding who establishes the norms and values of society, given that we are a nation built primarily through immigration (Bessett, 1997). Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people have been a part of society throughout history. There is evidence of same sex relationships at least as far back as ancient Greece (Crompton, 2003). Over time, negative societal attitudes in the western world developed and led to active oppression of LGBT community. These attitudes were then exported around the world. From approximately the 1930’s until the 1970’s, the vast majority of LGBT people lived their lives hiding