Gay Rights Activism
Hello and welcome to Sean’s Legacy’s blog corner. Sean's Legacy is a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide information in a safe environment.
Introduction
We want to disclose and highlight that through the LGBTQ+ movement, there has been an increase in awareness and acceptance. People have made great strives through the years to bring to light much-needed acceptance and understanding. Unfortunately, the effort is still needed throughout the community, and everyone needs to take the necessary steps to acknowledge awareness and reinforce growth.
The gay rights movement has seen great strides over the last two decades. Laws surrounding lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights have been diminished, and progression towards inclusion and acceptance has flourished. Same-sex couples can legally marry and adopt in all 50 U.S. states, and advancements in acknowledgments and awareness have continued.
However, even with these advancements, there are still regular occurrences of discrimination and harmful stigmas. Advocacy for transgender individuals is needed to ensure equal opportunities in employment, housing, and rights, as well as an increase in awareness.
Early Gay Rights Activism
The Society for Human Rights was the first documented gay rights organization. It was founded in Chicago in 1924 by Henry Gerber. The group was the first U.S. group to develop a gay-interest newsletter titled “Friendship and Freedom.” Unfortunately, the group was disbanded a year later as a result of police raids.
Over the next few decades there were individuals of the LGBT community present, but the movement as a whole staggered. People like Radclyffe Hall in 1928, published her book The Well of Loneliness, which consisted of a lesbian-theme. During World War II, concentration camps in Germany subjected homosexual men to wear the badge of a pink triangle to divide and negatively categorize them.
During the 1950s, one of the first gay rights groups were formed by Harry Hay and was called the Mattachine Foundation. This group involved discussion groups and activities in promoting improved quality of life among gay men. The group expanded and one founding member Dale Jennings further introduced another organization called One, Inc. which included women and published the first pro-gay magazine.
The Mattachine Foundation later reformed into the Mattachine Society and expanding into other parts of the country. They introduced the second gay publication called The Mattachine Review. In San Fransico, an organization called the Daughters of Bilitis was founded in 1955 by four lesbian couples. This organization produced a newsletter called The Ladder, which established the first lesbian publication.
The 1960s Gay Rights Activism
With the start of the 1960s, there was a further progression in the gay rights movement. Illinois decriminalizing homosexuality in 1961, and California aired the first documentary about homosexuality on a local TV station called The Rejected.
Christine Jorgensen was one of the first transgender women in the public spotlight. She was the first to discuss gender reassignment surgery and hormonal replacement therapy. Unfortunately, discrimination was occurring, affecting women and men's ability to express their relationship in public places openly. In protest, the Mattachine Society in New York City staged a “sip-in” similar to the “sit-in” protests. Their goal was to bring awareness to the anti-gay liquor laws, individuals presented themselves as gay to bars and taverns to be turned away. The “sip-in” protests resulted in publicity and the end to the anti-gay liquor laws.
In 1969, The Stonewall Riots caused a surge in the gay rights movement. This establishment was known for its infamous inclusion of drag queens and homeless youth. Police raided the building resulting in a riot lasting more than five days.
The 1970s Gay Rights Activism
There was a surge in activist group formation with members of the Mattachine Society forming the Gay Liberation Front and leading protests, political confrontations, and public rallies. Other groups formed and followed the Mattachine Societies lead included Radicalesbians, Gay Activists Alliance, and the Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (STAR).
What is now viewed as the country’s first gay pride parade, occurred in New York City in 1970 and was called the Christopher Street Liberation Day. This event commemorated the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Additionally, during this time, the pink triangle was liberated and became a symbol of gay pride as opposed to the previously negative connotations surrounding the symbol.
During the 70s, there was an increase in the visibility and activism of LGBT individuals. Including pro-gay-rights political platforms and the allowance of transgender women to play in the United States Open tennis tournament.
Harvey Milk an openly gay man who was elected to office in California asked gay rights artist and activist, to design a symbol of pride. He developed and unveiled the rainbow flag which was debuted in the 1978 pride parade.
The year 1970 brought over 100,000 people to participate in the first-ever National March on Washington for the gay and lesbian rights movement.
The 1980s and Early 1990s Gay Rights Activism
Gay rights were set back by the outbreak of AIDs in the United States in the 80s and early 90s. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention publishing a report about previously healthy homosexual men contracting a rare type of pneumonia which was later determined as a resultant of the AIDs virus. By the year 1984, Researchers had identified that Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was the identifier leading to AIDs. Which still has a significant impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
The second National March on Washington occurred in 1987 and was the first to nationally cover AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), a group to improve the lives of AIDs victims.
In the year 1992, the District of Columbia passed a law providing some rights of marriage by allowing gay and lesbian couples to register as domestic partners. During this year Bill Clinton also proposed the lift to ban gays in the military. In 1993, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy was enacted to allow gay women and men to serve in the military but still required them to keep their a sexuality secret.
The 1990s and Gay Marriage
Gay marriage was still not accepted or allowed to occur legally. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prevented the allowance of federal marriage benefits to be obtained by same-sex couples. Although marriage was still under fire, progress in 1994 did occur in the court system with harsher sentences imposed to criminals who were motived by a victim’s sexual orientation.
The 2000s and Gay Rights Activism
The year 2003 brought the landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to illegalize the criminalization of homosexual relations nationwide. In 2009 further progression on the 1994 hate crime law was enacted, this law was known as the Matthew Shepard Act in response to his death, which was thought to be driven by his sexual orientation.
In 2011 President Obama repealed the DADT policy. The supreme court also ruled against DOMA and it no longer applied in 2015 with the Supreme Courts ruling against states banning same-sex marriage.
The year 2015 also brought the lifting of the Boy Scouts ban on openly gay leaders and employees, and in 2017 their ban against transgender boys was also terminated. The year 2016 lead to the lifting of the ban on transgender people openly serving in the military. However, in 2018, President Trump had established a new policy that has once again resulted in the rejection of most of trans people from the military.
Future Activism
Unfortunately, even with the great strides that have occurred by the LGBT community, there are many occurrences of discrimination still present today in 2019. There is still a lot of room for growth and the need for outreach in the community. Incidents in workplaces, schools, and everyday environments are still present and need to be propelled forward.
We at Sean’s Legacy would like to help individuals in the LGBTQ+ movement proceed forward. We want to provide you with tools and resources to guide you towards a better understanding in an environment that is nonbiased and always accepting.
Keep an eye out for our next blog entry topic: Health dynamics in the LGBTQ+ community!
Stay strong, positive, and courageous!
Until next time,
ALICCIA KOZNECKI, ON BEHALF OF SEAN’S LEGACY
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Resources:
https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/history-of-gay-rights
https://www.glsen.org/article/lgbtq-history-1