Gay Rights In The 1920s

On August 29, 1897, Ulrichs became the first gay man to publicly defend homosexuality when he pleaded with the congress of German Jurists in Munich for a repeal of anti-homosexual laws (Ray). The gay rights movement has been a part of society since the early 1500s, however, the movement really started taking off in the 1920s. As the years went on, there were always supporters and critics of the movement. Some even went as far as parades and hate crimes. From the 1920s until present day, the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have moved towards equality for LGBT people.

Historians agree that there is evidence to support the existence of homosexuality, whether accepted or not, in every documented culture so far. In Ancient

The music of African American women featured lesbian desire, struggle, and humor. This new form of music male and female drag stars, acquainted straight people with a gay presence during a defiance of race and sex codes in speakeasy clubs (Morris). Although, there were few attempts to create groups that advocated for gay and lesbian relationships until after WWII. However, in 1924, Henry Gerber founded the Society for Human Rights in Chicago, the first documented gay rights organization in the United States. The inspiration came from the Scientific-Humanitarians Committee, a "homosexual emancipation" group in Germany (“Gay Rights”). This group advocated for gay men and their rights. In order to spread the word and raise awareness, Gerber's homosexual emancipation group published issues of a newsletter titled "Friendship and Freedom" the countries first gay-interest newsletter. However, in 1925, police raids caused the group to disband (“Gay Rights”). Some people seemed to be advocating for

In 1970, on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the NYC community members marched through the streets in remembrance of the riots. This marched is considered the county's first gay pride parade. During this time, activists also turned the pink triangle into a symbol of gay pride (“Gay Rights”). In the past the triangle was used to discriminate against the homosexuals during World War II. It was placed on people who were believed to be sexual predators. In 1972, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) formed. This group offered family members greater support roles in the gay rights movement (Morris). Friends and family had a way to learn how to be more supportive in new ways. In the same year, the first out gay minister was ordained by the United Church of Christ (Morris). This was a huge step forward in the path to equality. Gilbert Baker created the first rainbow flag, which he revealed at a pride parade in 1978 (“Gay Rights”). This flag was rainbow colored with each color of eight colors representing an aspect of the LGBT diversity. Hot pink represented sex, red for life, orange for healing, and so on. In 1979, more than 100,000 people marched in the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (“Gay Rights”). Political action exploded through the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Human Rights Campaign, the election of openly gay and lesbian