In the 1920s, homosexuals were widely accepted. The author of a popular play about homosexuality, Mae West, was an early advocate of gay rights. In the 1930s, the public didn’t want to deal with homosexuality in the actors, so they forced them to retire or keep their sexuality private. Homosexuals would not be accepted again until the 1960s. In the 1930s, life was harsh for homosexuals. Homosexuality, at this point, was regarded as a mental illness. Many had to hide their identity to avoid being made fun of and even imprisonment. Many police forces used young, undercover cops to try and get a confession out of homosexuals.
During World War II, about 250,000 women signed up for the army. Many lesbians joined to meet other women and do men’s
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They were treated worse than other prisoners. They were bullied by German soldiers and other prisoners. Lesbian woman were not treated as poorly because it was technically a crime to be a lesbian. Homosexuals in concentration camps were forced to wear a pink triangle and were sometimes used as target practice for the soldiers.
By the end of the 1960s, there was a huge riot known as the Stonewall riots, which can be regarded as the beginning of the modern gay liberation movement. Most of these movements were often organized by those who supported gay rights. They rioted about the rights they have not been given and the abuse they went through because of it. 10 years before the Stonewall riots, the police force in New York City shut down dozens of gay clubs. Soon, it became illegal to serve homosexuals alcoholic drinks. They could only obtain drinks through bribes and through deals with the mafia.
The first state to decriminalize homosexuality was Illinois in 1961. The last states to decriminalize homosexuality were Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and