ipl-logo

Gay Activism After The 1950's

1395 Words6 Pages

Gay and Lesbian Activism After the 1950s

In the aftermath of World War II, the United States underwent profound transformations, not only in its economy but also in its pursuit of social reform. Industries were undergoing transformative changes and scientific discoveries were being made. After having viewed same-sex relations as a mental disorder for many years, Americans began to shift their perspectives, given the new scientific advancements that were being made. Following WWII, same-sex relations garnered greater attention in the United States than ever before which enabled, enabling LGBTQ individuals to congregate and form communities, to initiate the call for policy changes, and to change the definition of what being gay meant in a political …show more content…

Consequently, LGBTQ individuals were able to were able to congregate and form more socially acceptable organizations, that were considered more socially acceptable compared toin comparison to the pre-1950s era. These developments served as a foundation for raising public awareness about the LGBTQ community in the United StatesU.S. The Stonewall riot occurred during a periodat a point in time when many Americans were increasingly curious about same-sex attraction and actively sought out information on the topic. The riot, which took place on June 28, 1969, served as a critical catalyst following a series of prior public confrontations. The event startedbegan as a routine raid on the Stonewall bar, however crowds gathered outside the bar and overwhelmed the police, until the officers barricaded themselves inside for protection. As more police officers arrived, so did more LGBTQ community members. One of the men who was at the riot, Mark Segal, described it as “one of the greatest nights in history for gay people.” As it was the first instance of such large-scale resistance by members of the LGBTQ community against the police force, news of the event spread throughout the country within a matter of days. LGBTQ individuals and the Mattachine society, a national gay rights association in the United States, members used the momentum the rriot created and posted flyers across New York City on July 24, 1969. The display of solidarity atduring the Stonewall Riot provided LGBTQ individuals with a sense of reassurance that there were others within and beyond their community who shared their fervor for equality. This increased their enthusiasm to participate in public meetings and gatherings specifically tailored for LGBTQ individuals. The captivating

Show More
Related
76 Words | 1 Pages

The mid-20th century was a time of sociopolitical defiance in America, with the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-Vietnam War protests, second-wave feminism, and gay rights groups at the forefront. In this era, any sexuality or gender identity outside of the societal norm was condemned as not only illegal but a mental defect as well. By fighting back against the police that night in July, the Stonewall rioters took a stand for their rights and their

Read More
850 Words | 4 Pages

On June 28, 1969,a raid took place. The Stonewall Inn was a popular gay bar and the police arrived at about 2 AM. They instructed the patrons to leave the bar, arresting many people for illegal cross-dressing. Police beat some of the people inside the bar which is what began the riot. Raids on gay bars were common but this was the first to insight this size of a riot.

Read More
545 Words | 3 Pages

“A group of people decided they’d had enough. They took a stand and in doing so began the New York Gay Activist movement. Which eventually spread to other parts of the country…. I very much doubt they know the impact of their decision to stand firm that day in 1969, but it’s because of those people that gay rights exist in this country today,” Lynley Wayne, LGBT Writer. Everyday people are trying to stand up for themselves.

Read More
1262 Words | 6 Pages

A year later the same day was when the christopher street day liberation march was held. Stone wall was known heavily by the police because they were always down there arresting the queers and fine the establishment. The raiding officers were sometimes rough which turned into making police brutality a common occurrence especially at bars around the country. A raid on june 28 1969 sent fairies, drag queens, trans people and gender nonconforming people on a standoff that lasted 3 days and this is how it became known as the stonewall riots. Months after the riot it sparked a major turning point for the gay rights movement Howard participated in the march as well and Howard also a year later organized the christopher street liberation day march to mark the stonewall riots first anniversary.

Read More
1930 Words | 8 Pages

The stonewall riots had a moderate impact on the political and social landscape of America. Historical evidence exhibits that although the stonewall uprising did not change the trajectory of gay rights, it acted as a catalyst for de-stigmatization of LGBTQ+ members. The Stonewall uprising was a 6 day political protest and riot in response to the highly restrictive laws and policies promoting homophobia within America. With politicians and laws promoting homophobia within America from 1950 to 1969, systematic oppression forced queer persons to the outskirts of society. Subsequently, underground organizations became affiliated with queer communities to provide spaces to be openly gay.

Read More
523 Words | 3 Pages

They began throwing bottles at officers and the crowd developed a mob mentality that required riot police. The demonstration and retaliation that followed resulted in being one of the most important events in the gay liberation movement and progress of LGBT rights in America. The protest lasted days after the raid, and resuted in local residents starting activist groups and places being made for gays and lesbians to be confident and safe in their

Read More
1382 Words | 6 Pages

By coming together as a community and recognizing their interconnectedness of hardships rather than being divided by different ideological interests, the African American community can strengthen their solidarity across the country, which can effectively fight against racial prejudice in society. Furthermore, in a period of intense persecution known as the Lavender Scare beginning in the 1940s until the 60s, members of the LGBTQ+ community were harassed and discriminated against in everyday society on the grounds of their sexual identity due to fear and stigma against gay people caused by broader societal homophobia. Fueled by the strategies and successes of the civil rights movement, the LGBTQ+ community also began challenging the deeply entrenched systems of oppression. Harvey Milk delivered a speech to inspire hope for the LGBTQ+ community to continue fighting for their place in society and recognized the universality of human rights by expressing, "We are all different. But we all have the same rights, the same hopes, and the same dreams.

Read More
1846 Words | 8 Pages

The act also created a sense of urgency as it displayed that queer people could no longer tolerate the injustice they faced and thus had to turn to committing such a bold act, and this galvanized the support of neighboring people and forced them to join the protests. The destruction of property placed the same anger and frustration of the patrons onto the neighbors which drove them to participate in the protests. The Stonewall Riots, which were effective mainly through the destruction of property, has a legacy of increasing the number of gay rights organizations which sparked the Gay Rights

Read More
1539 Words | 7 Pages

When thinking about one of the key trigger moments that set-in motion the LGBT movement against the oppression and police brutality, the Stonewall Riots of 1969 is a moment that might come to mind for most people. However, three years prior there was a similar moment that has gone under the radar for the most part. Despite its unspoken history, this event has played an essential role in the burgeoning LGBTQ movement in San Francisco. This moment in time was the Compton Cafeteria Riot in August of 1966. This took place in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco.

Read More
870 Words | 4 Pages

In this first section Carter gives his readers insight into some of the most prominent leaders that would emerge from the Stonewall riots. This first section also discussed the atmosphere at the time and the attitude towards the gay community. The second section of the book was named, The Stonewall Riots. In this second part of his book Carter researched the riots that occurred in late June of 1969. Carter utilized oral histories

Read More
698 Words | 3 Pages

In the following years, the New York City-based Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) and Gay Liberation Front (GLF) were formed as public spaces for social and political organizing and education of LGBTQIA+ people and community allies (NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project). The growing involvement in and legitimacy of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement both in New York City and across the country included the ability to publicly operate organizations and locations like the GAA and GLF, in addition to the overturning of laws in multiple states that prohibited gatherings of LGBTQIA+ people and guaranteed the ability to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people. Mainstream education on the history of queer liberation uncritically identifies this era of an increasing institutional presence and conditional social acceptance of the queer community as ‘progress’, despite the state violence, hate crimes, and institutional discrimination queer people were still experiencing during this time. Struggle for liberation is rarely palatable and concise enough for accurate headlines, political slogans, or campaign

Read More
1148 Words | 5 Pages

In response to the demands of the marches, there was passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 which allegedly outlawed discrimination in public places. However, racial discrimination still continued despite the change in law, white supremacists even increasing their actions against the CRM after the march/movement. The Washington March of 1963 was one of the several marches that had significantly impacted the nation’s views on rights and discrimination. The whole march was televised live to America, successfully gaining immediate national media coverage on the issue. From there, the aspirations of equal rights were communicated to the general public, other oppressed individuals, and even the Kennedy government.

Read More
1368 Words | 6 Pages

While rights organisations such as the Mattachine Society had previously existed, their previous protests and demonstrations had been very carefully controlled. Following Stonewall, however, demonstrations by the Mattachine Society became bolder, gay with couples holding hands and displaying affection publicly. One participant of the Annual Reminder in 1969, an event that involved the Mattachine Society picketing in front of Independance Hall in Philadelphia commented that "It was clear that things were changing. People who had felt oppressed now felt

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

The feminist movement and the gay rights movement are two communities that have been fighting for their rights for a long time and are similar in many ways, yet different in many others. While they are both social movements, the feminist movement’s main focus is on women’s rights, while the gay rights movement’s main focus is on gay rights. Similar to each other or not, the two movements could (and do) benefit from each other. Both women and gay people have faced discrimination due to being seen as lesser in the eyes of society. However, the reasons for this discrimination they face/have faced are very different.

Read More
902 Words | 4 Pages

The Civil Rights Movement gained traction around the 1950s, paving the way for many other oppressed groups. These groups fought for different rights, but they still had a similar struggle to the original movement. One of these groups is the Gay Rights Movement. The comparison between the black civil rights movement and the gay civil rights movement is “typically a sensitive subject, even among liberals” (Williams). Some people believe that it is unfair to compare a fight for marriage to a fight to gain equality in every aspect.

Read More

More about Gay Activism After The 1950's

Related Topics

Open Document