Gay Liberation Front

Vietnam. The sixties are known for being a controversial and politically challenge era, but there were also many other activists that were important but lesser known. The sixties also represented the movement of countercultures, identity politics and liberation movements. These challenges and movements all summarized what is known as the era of the 60s. There were many groups that opposed authority in a peaceful way such as marches and gatherings, however, these groups certainly did not get along with

social norms with poetry, novels and art. Three of the most altering countercultures were the Hippies, the Sexual Revolution and the Gay Liberation. These three countercultures emerged around the same time, but had prominently different agendas and played huge roles in shaping the American culture. What effects did the Hippies, Sexual Revolution and the Gay Liberation countercultures have on American society, why did they emerge and what were their objectives? One of the most distinctive countercultures

attitudes, and in response two gay rights groups, the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis were established. Through the radical 1960s, the influence of the counterculture and Civil Rights movement provided inspiration to those seeking to put an end to the discrimination homosexuals faced. Stonewall was the culmination of previous efforts yet also the catalyst for the Gay Rights movement, leading to political action, social change and empowerment of the gay community. It amassed national

heterosexual couples were acceptable, and not punishable in the confines of the home, but that gays were not even safe in private. After the decision in Lawrence v Texas made by the U.S. Supreme Court, it was understood that the gay community had a chance to move forward into the light even more, and that their fight for freedom would not disappear. By declaring that it is unconstitutional to make arrests against gays in the home, it also declared that homosexuals should have the same rights as everyone

On June 28, 1969, the Gay Liberation Movement was sparked due to the Stonewall Riot in Manhattan, New York City, (History.com Staff). The Stonewall was a gay club located in New York City. It was often regulated and harassed by police officers but one day the LGBT decided to stand up for themselves and fight back. Although the police were legally justified in raiding the club, which was serving liquor without a license among other violations, New York’s gay community had grown weary of the police

distributed political newsletters and pamphlets, and were the first to conduct large-scale statistical inquiries into homosexual behavior (Jagose 29). Many believe now that the Mattachine Society, along with other small organizations, led the way to the gay rights movement.

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. In the wee hours of June 28th, 1969, members of the gay community were forced to enter a

(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

being themselves. From the suicide of the ancient writer Sappho to Leonardo Da Vinci's arrest for “sodomy”, we can see that people have loved others of the same sex since the beginning. Only now, in modern times, have we allowed the LGBT+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and plus.) to be seen as equals in the eyes of the law. Yet, these strides towards equality have not been without its sacrifices. It is believed by many that the modern day LGBT+ movement was sparked by the Stonewall Riots

The Sixties, by Terry H. Anderson, takes the reader on a journey through one of the most turbulent decades in American life. Beginning with the crew-cut conformity of 1950s Cold War culture and ending with the transition into the uneasy '70s, Anderson notes the rise of an idealistic generation of baby boomers, widespread social activism, and revolutionary counterculture. Anderson explores the rapidly shifting mood of the country with the optimism during the Kennedy years, the liberal advances of