There have been numerous social movements that affected specific gender groups in society and transformed the world they live in. Well-known women’s movements have existed throughout the century, one of the best known movements of current times was the movement led by a feminist group called the suffragettes; the Suffragettes fought for equal rights for women they fought for their right to vote and an equal right to work, the basic equal right that many young women in society take for granted. During the civil rights movements in the 1960s and 1970s women’s right movements rose once again when women entered the workplace in masses and the controversial introduction of abortion and the pill changed the face of the world women lived in. Women are not alone in their battles for equality, the gay rights movement that started in California in the 1950s and finally made large ground in the late 1960s with the riots at the iconic stonewall inn changed the way minority gender groups lived in society.
The Suffragettes was a was a women’s movement group in search of equal right for women, in particular women’s rights to work, much like their male counterparts and be able to cast their vote. It took over 70 years for the movement to gain the right for the ability for women to vote, it was in 1928 that all women could legally vote. During the time of war from the 1940s to 1950s the suffragettes fought for women’s rights to work and during this time when labor was needed in the masses to support local economies while the men were at war the movement finally broke ground. The time of war challenged many traditional roles of women in society and militant suffragette movements fought hard for the independence and equal right of women during this time.
Another time that led to radical movement by women’s groups was the 1960s to the 1970s . There were many life altering changes that enabled this period, such as mass entry by women into the workplace, the rights for abortion and the invention of the pill. In the 1960s women were key participants in the civil rights movement. Women’s groups during this time period received much opposition and criticism, this only lead to more organized liberation movements completely dedicated to breaking the constraints they lived with because of archaic and sexist assumptions.
The male population is not excluded from gender movements that changed society. Los Angeles gay rights activist Harry Hay founded the first national gay rights organization in 1950. Harry founded the organization in an attempt to change the public’s perception of homosexuals and attempt to eliminate discrimination. In 1969 there was a public revolt against discrimination toward male homosexuals after a raid on a famous New York City tavern called the stonewall Inn. Men were rounded up like cattle and arrested, thrown in paddy wagons for wearing women’s clothing. The raid leads to a revolt by the underground gay community, which in turn changed the face of the gay community forever. The infamous site of the stonewall tavern, which still exists today was seen on many televised news broadcasts across the nation when the current President, President Obama announced his support for gay marriage to be legalized the nation, today men, and women whom are homosexual can marry their partners just as a heterosexual person can, and they can openly be who they are when they go to war for our country and no longer have to hide his or her sexuality.
Minority gender groups have risen against oppression they faced by society due to a reluctance to accept change and minorities. Groups like the Suffragettes and people like Harry Hay have changed the world many of us live in. Women can vote like their male counterparts, this was only true less than 90 years ago. Women can go to work and receive equal pay and workers rights just as their male counterparts can, this happened as recently as 40 years ago, and men, and women alike regardless of their sexual orientation can be recognized in society as equals and can marry the partners of their choice. Movements and groups that were once considered radical have lead to points in time that we all consider normal.
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Graff,E.J.(2012) The gay-rights movement won. Retrieved from: http://prospect.org/article/how-gay-rights-movement-won