...LGBTQ+ Activism and the Gay Rights Movement The United States LGBTQ+ community has long been a marginalized group who has struggled greatly with discrimination, bigotry, and institutional homophobia. While there are still advancements that must be made in order for full liberation of LGBTQ+ individuals to be achieved, the LGBTQ+ community has made critical and significant strides in terms of institutional and social liberation over the past few decades. These accomplishments would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of LGBTQ+ activists and the gay rights movement. LGBTQ+ activism and the gay rights movement have been responsible for massive political change, and has influenced the ways in which marginalized groups organize....
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
...During the 60's it was difficult to be in the LGBT+ community. In New York, and many other states, it was illegal to be gay in public, and even businesses and gay bars were frequently raided and closed. One night at The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar located in Greenwich Village, New York, a police raid turned violent. Customers at the bar stood on the street and watched as police arrested employees, and threw 3 drag queens and a lesbian into a wagon. This had happened multiple times before, and usually resulted in the patrons scattering back to their homes. This time, however, the people in the bar were tired of being treated this way so they took a stand. Instead of scattering and returning to their homes, they stood outside the bar and began shouting at the policemen who, having been accustomed to peaceful patrons and uneventful raids, were still inside the bar. The policemen barricaded themselves inside the bar and called for backup....
Words: 1115 - Pages: 5
...The Stonewall Riots, which occurred on Saturday June 28th 1969 until Tuesday July 1st 1969, marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement(Misiroglu 308). The Stonewall Riots began when the police started a raid within a New York gay bar called the Stonewall Inn on 53 Christopher Street(Bronski 209). Even though the police were able to legally raid the Stonewall Inn since the bar was serving liquor without a license, the gay community reacted with rage by throwing bottles at the police, because some of the staff consisting of three drag queens and a lesbian were arrested and forced into a “paddy wagon”, and in general because of police harassment(“The Stonewall Riots”). Late Saturday evening, even though the bar was closed down, the crowds...
Words: 318 - Pages: 2
...Just after 3 a.m. on a Saturday morning, a police raid of the Stonewall Inn–a gay club located on New York City’s Christopher Street–turns violent as patrons and local sympathizers begin rioting against the police. Although the police were legally justified in raiding the club, which was serving liquor without a license among other violations, New York’s gay community had grown frustrated of the police department targeting gay clubs, a majority of which had already been closed earlier that year. The protest that started on Christopher Street, however, spilled over onto the neighboring streets. Order was not restored until the New York’s riot police was deployed. This is what is known as ‘The Stonewall Riots’, also regarded by many as history’s...
Words: 976 - Pages: 4
...5/16/14 Extra Credit Stonewall Uprising a) What aspects of the film complemented your textbook reading about Stonewall? Some of the aspects of the film that complemented the textbook about Stonewall were that this right that took place on June 27-28 1969 in New York City started a movement that allowed the LGBTQI community to stand up to the police and show them that they were going to stand for their rights. Both in the movie and textbook they touch on how popular the Stonewall Inn and how it allowed a get away for the gay population to go and be comfortable with whom they were. It also showed that this was the breaking point for the gay population that were at the inn they weren’t going to allow the police to harass them anymore. For once the police were out number and had to run away from the large crowd of the gay patrons that’s were at the Stonewall Inn and that had began to gather outside. It highly upset the crowd when the police arrest the bar staff of the Stonewall Inn. The riot showed a form of liberation both in the film and book. What was amazing that you saw in the book and film was that every time a person was released from the Stonewall Inn the crowd cheer. b) What was the part of the film that you considered the most interesting? Why? What was interesting in the film was that the mafia supplied the liquor to the gay bars due to the issue of them not being able to get a liquor license. It was interesting to see that these gay bars weren’t always making...
Words: 451 - Pages: 2
...The conflict that occurred during the Stonewall Riots of 1969 inspired the gay rights movement that led to the landmark decision in the Supreme Court Case Obergefell v. Hodges. This compromise only makes the government endorse same-sex marriages, not the public. In 1969, homosexuality was considered a mental illness and engaging in homosexual acts was considered illegal. Electroshock therapy and lobotomies were often used to try and fix homosexual people. The Stonewall Inn, located in Greenwich Village in New York, was one of the many gay bars were LGBT people sought refuge. On Saturday, June 28, 1969, police raided the bar and arrested the owners for operating a bar without a liquor license. They also began arresting people who were not wearing at least 3 articles of gender-appropriate clothing, in accordance with New York law. Instead of scattering, the patrons fought back. Around 400 patrons threw bottles, threw debris, and set the bar on fire, with police officers inside, to protest the arrests. The riot continued...
Words: 565 - Pages: 3
...Marsha P. Johnson was a transwoman who became an important face to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in New York City. She was recognized by being herself and fearing no judgment of the harassment and ridicule of dressing and living as a woman, while having the masculine features of a man. She was an eccentric woman who was known for her exotic hats and jewelry which stood out to the public and attracted attention to her. Johnson was an activist at the forefront of key moments in history. First, she played a large role in the 1969 Stonewall Riots, when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons...
Words: 367 - Pages: 2
...In the 1960’s America had laws that stated homosexuality was forbidden and was a punishable offense. The gay community after dealing with discrimination and police brutality had decided that they had to fight for their civil rights. Throughout this paper I will answer the following questions: what led to the start of the gay liberation movement, who were the leaders as well as the advocates of the movement, what were the discriminations that gays and lesbians faced, what were the goals of the movements and how they achieved them as well as what was the aftermath of the movement. By answering these questions, we will explore what oppressions the community had to go through to achieve the rights they were entitled to. Throughout the history...
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
...2. How did they attempt to gain their rights? There were many negative situations and actions towards the LGBTQ community especially in the 1960’s. Many people did not respect lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and queers. In 1964, the first LGBTQ organization was formed in San Francisco which was called National Transsexual Counseling (NTC) and was later developed into the Society of Individual Rights (SIR) that opened up in 1966. The organization helped the LGBTQ community gain many rights. LGBTQ people attempted to gain their rights by riots against the police even til this day. Also they have started organizations, protests, and much more to aim for their rights. The gay pride parades gave people encouragement “to come out...
Words: 389 - Pages: 2
...container and what is needed to do so, we finally managed to open this capsule. Inside this capsule we found five extremely secured items that conveniently came with brief explanations of what they are and of what time they came from. The Five items consisted of; (1) One small compact, of which held some sort of medicated pills. (2) A plate that is labeled “VIN Plate” and has writing to describe what was considered a VIN plate to a vehicle. (3) Three small, flat and round shaped items that appear to be disks or albums. (4) A picture that was protected in a sealed packet of a man and a woman in a car. This picture labeled, “Day of JFK assassination”. (5) A piece of brown colored paper with the writing and labeling of “Never forget Stonewall Riots - - 1969”. Here is a summary of the five items that was found in the capsule each having a distinctive history. This will be an unofficial documented record of these five items, where they came from and the history behind each item. There is a...
Words: 2680 - Pages: 11
...In the introductory chapter of Annamarie Jagose’s Queer Theory, queerness is chiefly characterized by its indeterminacy. To clarify, Jagose marks elasticity and unknowability as key; thus, any attempts to solidify queerness within a narrow, academic framework contradicts queerness itself. In a society which prioritizes “coming out” and ascribing one’s self to a specific label within a narrow (and often hierarchical) LGBT umbrella, the indeterminacy of queerness almost seems counterproductive. However, Miss Major’s display of fluidity in Major! derails such a line of thought, instead demonstrating how the fluidity of queerness has seeped into every facet of Miss Major’s life and has sculpted her into the community elder she is today. Miss Major’s fluidity of being is unabashedly demonstrated throughout the film: she is shown dolled up in dresses, she is shown sitting on a rumpled bed with stubble, she is shown hard at work with the TGIJP headquarters, and she is shown in masculine attire alongside her ex-wife and her infant son in old photographs. To continue, Miss Major is referred to with various pronouns, depending on who is speaking at the time, though Major herself admits to not having qualms with as much....
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...Sexual Liberation Cassandra M. Gonzalez HIS/145 the American Experience Since 1945 Dr. William Frost OCT/10/2012 Sexual liberation The 1960’s in our history of the United States are often described today as the period of profound societal change. Attitudes to a variety of issues changed including changes towards sexual attitudes. This altered view towards sexual attitudes and behavior is often today referred to as the sexual revolution, also known as the time of sexual liberation. Many different political movements were all important components to this period in the sexual revolution, such as Feminists, gay rights campaigners, and hippies just to name a few. American’s during this era faced many controversial issues – from the civil rights, to the Vietnam War, and nuclear arms, and the time was ripe for change. This climate of change led many, particularly the young in significantly shifting social attitudes, behaviors and institutional regulations surrounding sexuality. The Birth of Contraceptives Sexual liberation was a social movement that challenged what society viewed as the sexual norm and typical gender roles. Sex became more socially accepted outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriages, and increased. The increase in acceptance of intercourse prior to marriage gave individuals more freedom. The year of 1962 many advances occurred that supported the freedom of being sexual active and not having to procreate: the first Birth Control pill went on the market...
Words: 913 - Pages: 4
...ayGay Liberation & the African American Civil Rights Movement: Exploring the Connections Kelly Arruda Equality is a good start, but it is not sufficient. Equality for queers inevitably means equal rights on straight terms, since they are the ones who determine the existing legal framework. We conform— albeit equally—with their screwedup system. That is not liberation. It is capitulation. —Peter Thatchell Recent developments in samesex marriage have raised emotions, awareness and many questions about equality and rights as well as inquires about the benefits of marriage for society in general. Is the goal to blend into an existing system of rights and privileges or to work toward a new framework of acceptance? To examine these questions, I invite you to take a journey through the past sixty years and visit moments of both the African American and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Civil Rights Movements. By examining the African American Civil Rights Movement, I attempt to survey and assess the advantages and disadvantages of both the assimilationist and liberationist perspectives of the GLBT Movement. Historical Context The racist institution of Jim Crow grew out of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 which abolished slavery in the United States. Long after slavery was abolished, however, African Americans continued to suffer cruel injustices throughout the country. The discriminatory system of Jim Crow perpetually ...
Words: 4700 - Pages: 19
...supplies that ultimately led to more deaths in the war. Since Switzerland did not join the war, many more deaths occurred and ended later. So, even if one remains neutral, one cannot completely avoid intervention. Therefore, even though some think neutrality keeps people safe, Wiesel is correct when he says that neutrality benefits the oppressor. When people side with the victim, they gain the confidence to fight against their prosecutor, so Wiesel is correct. According to an article on History.com on the Stonewall Riots, the “Stonewall uprising didn’t start the gay rights movement, it was a galvanizing force for LGBT political activism, leading to numerous gay rights organizations, including the Gay Liberation Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD. . . and PFLAG.” The article states that the Stonewall Riots brought attention to the oppressed LGBTQ+ community. The attention led to the creation of many gay rights organizations and was one of the reasons for the start of the gay rights movement. Therefore, Wiesel is correct when he says that oppressors grow on neutrality because victims will not have support when people are neutral, which harms the victims’ self-confidence. Moreover, there have been times when victims fight against their oppressors, even in novels and movies. For example, in the movie RACE, Jesse Owens’ teammates celebrate when he wins the four gold medals. Despite all the racism and segregation Owens faces, his teammates support him, which gives him the confidence to oppose...
Words: 1026 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 776 - Pages: 4
