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Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall Riots took place in Greenwich Village, New York. Gay men from a gay bar called Stonewall Inn were angry by the harrassment of the police and a riot broke out. The news spread and more gay men and women joined in, throwing things at the policeman, chanting, "gay power." This lasted for hours and even days after demonstartions of different extremes took place. -
Founding of the Mattachine Society
The society was the first homophile organizaton in the United States. Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles gay men established the group to protect and improve the rights for gay indiviuals. The society was affilated the Communist Party values. The group spread into seperate groups in 1961, formed each with a religious idenity. -
Founding of the Daughters of Bilitis Group
A lesbian couple, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, were invitied in San Francisco with three other female couples to start a group. The group met frequently and more joined, allowing the group to be the first national lesbian group (though they met in secret at first). The group became less 'secret' started to branch out all over the nation and started their own magazine called The Ladder -
Alfred Kinsey (death)
Kinsey was the one of the first scientists to do lots of research about human sexuality. He was very conterversial scientist doing much research about topics many felt were inappropriate. He developed information about sexual behavior and actions. After his research, it was clear to the public that there were more homosexuals than they thought -
Gay Liberation Movement
This was an ongoing movement with many events happened during the movement. These movements allowed people who wouldn't usually 'come out' about their sexuality and show gay pride. More gay communities and groups were established during the movement. -
Harvey Milk election
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay officials elected to the San Francisco Board of Officials. He was a gay activist and community leader. He was tragically shot soon after being elected and many people wrote books about his legacy and his life. -
LGBT Largest National March
This was the first march in Washington D.C. for LGBT rights. People of all different sexual idenities and orientations joined in the protest. 75,000-125,000 people attended. The people demanded equal rights for homosexuals and promoted the passage of the protective civil rights legislation. Many plans and attempts of sort actions happened before, but nothing on a national level or with such high attendence ever happened before this. -
Bayard Rustin
He was known to be the leader for the 1963 March on Washington He was an activist for social change for many different minority groups. He helped organize many marchs and protests. He was a gay Civil Rights activist who was one of the first organizers of these social changes. -
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Beginning
It was a U.S. policy in the military regarding homosexuals working in the milatary. President Clinton signed it into law. The idea was don't tell or ask about your sexuality and you won't get harrassed during your time of service. -
DOMA
The act prohibited refused to allow same-sex couples to be married nor share the same benefits. President Bill Clinton signed the law. A 'couple' was defined long as a hetrosexual couple. Later on, Clinton wanted to repeal it -
Bill Jack Gaither beating
Gaither was a 39 year old gay man who worked at a sports apperal store in Alabama who was brutally beaten to death, even having his body burned. The friend who beat him, named Steve Mullins said Gaither said "queer stuff" to him, which influenced him to start a violent attack with another man named Charles Monroe Butler. -
Civil Unions
Lots of states allowed same-sex couples have legal rights through ciivl unions and domestic partnerships in many variations. This was not the same of allowing same-sex couples to marry, but still gave same-sex couples more oppotunities to be treated like hterosexual couples. -
Lawerence vs Texas Case
Two men named John Lawerence and Tyron Garner were arrested in Lawerence's house in Houston because the two men were accused of having sex together. The men were believed to violate the law "Homosexual Conduct" where same-sex couples can't have sex together, even though this was technically legal in Texas. The trial was brought to the Surpreme Court and they believed this law was unconsitutional. -
Proposition 8
Proposition 8 was a ballot initivative in California state amendment. This proposition passed in the November 2008 elections. The proposition overturned the California Supreme Court law and caused much conterversary about the validation of it. The propisition allowed same-sex couples to marry. -
Matthew Shepard Act
The Matthew Shepard Act waas in lieu of the recent death of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was brutally beaten in Wynoming. There was a play called the Laramie Project which showed society more about the case. The act was enacted to have hate crimes as a federal charge. It was signed in by President Obama. -
Maryland Question 6
The question was part of elections in 2012 in a state-wide level. Barely by a half margian, Maryland same-sex citizens' are able to marry each other legally. Maryland same-sex couples were now able to marry in their own state rather than getting married in other states that legalized gay marriage already. -
Marriage Equality
Marriage equality allows same-sex couples to be 'equal ' to hetrosexual couples. Both types of couples can marry legally and have the same rights. More and more states allow marriage equality to be present in their state laws. -
DOMA Appeal by Supreme Court
The Defense of Marriage Act was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. With the declartion, same-sex couples who are legally married in their states can share the same federal benefits. Before, states that allowed same-sex couples to marry couldn't share the same federal protections despite being married to each other.
