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The Society For Human Rights
Founded in Chicago by Henry Gerber, the Society for Human Rights was the first gay rights organization documented in America. The society received a charter from the state of Illinois that allowed them to publish the first American publication for homosexuals, ¨Friendship and Freedom¨. The society was forced to disband in 1925 due to police raids and societal pressures. -
Mattachine Society
For the last few decades, homosexuality was viewed as an illness, and society shamed those who took part in it. As an attempt to change this, gay rights activist Harry Hay founded the Mattachine Society, America´s first sustained national gay rights organization. The goal of the organization was to eliminate discrimination and bigotry while integrating homosexuals into mainstream society. -
Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government
In December of 1950, the Senate reported ¨ "Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government". This report was given out to members of Congress after the federal government began to investigate employees' sexual orientation. The report emphasizes the ideas of the 40s, stating that homosexuality is a mental illness and that they are a risk to society.
This report also allowed for the ¨lavender scare¨, the purging of homosexuals in government jobs. -
Executive Order 10450
The idea of mental instability within homosexuals continued as
President Dwight Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450. This order banned homosexuals from working for the federal government as well as any of its private contractors. This order would remain in effect for the next 20 years. -
Clinical Perceptions
Evelyn Hooker an American psychologist conducted psychological tests on groups of homosexual and heterosexual males proving that there is not a significant difference between the two groups. She published her findings in her paper, ¨The Adjustment of the MAver Overt Homosexual¨ at the American Psychological Association Convention in Chicago. Hooker's findings became very influential, changing clinical perceptions of homosexuality. -
Inc. v. Olesen
One of the major court cases was in January of 1958, the Inc. V. Olesen case, a case on obscene material in the Homosexual Magazine. This case was the first time the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of homosexuals through the first amendment right. -
Increased Rights
The 1960s increased many rights of the LBGTQ+ community. In January of 1962, Illinois repealed the sodomy law and became the first state to decriminalize homosexuality. In July of 1965, in Philadelphia, people began calling attention to the lack of civil rights within the LGBTQ+ community. In April of 1966 after an incident in the Julius Bar where homosexuals were refused service, the New York City Commission on Human Rights declares that homosexuals have the right to be served. -
Modern Movement
In June of 1969, patrons of Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village began to riot when a police officer attempted to raid a popular gay bar. While what happened in June of 1969 was not an addition to their rights, this event triggered the fire of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. -
Major Rulings
These two rulings are important as they contributed to the acceptance of LBGTQ+. The first major ruling was in December of 1973 when the board of the American Psychiatric Association voted to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses. Many people were not happy with this ruling and continued to use mental illness as a justification for homosexuality. Another ruling was within the Democratic Party, they ruled that they will not go against homosexuality. -
GRID v. AIDS
In the 1980s, it was found that 41 gay men have rare pneumonia and skin cancer, they labeled this disease as GRID, Gay Related Immune Disficiany Disorder. The LBGTQ+ community suffered greatly from this as it caused them to be seen as outcasts once again. However, they found this disease in people outside of the LBGTQ+ community as well, and then the name was changed to AIDS. Even with this correction, the LBGTQ+ community had to work and fight this image placed on them. -
Defense of Marriage Act
In 1996, President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law. The Defense of Marriage Act provided the definition of marriage as the legal union between one man one woman. It continues, no state is required to recognize a same-sex marriage from out of state. This is a great limitation that faced the LBGT+ in their advancement towards rights. -
Legalizing Marriage Part 1
In the 20th century, the legalization of gay marriages became a chain reaction. In 2000, Vermont became the first State to legalizes civil unions and registered partnerships between same-sex couples. 2004, Massachusetts legalized gay marriage.
Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize gay marriage and in the next 6 years, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Iowa, and Washington D.C. followed suit. -
Marriage Part 2
In 2008, California went against the movement and approved Proposition 8 making same-sex marriages illegal, but, two years later this was versed as a judge found it unconstitutional. Continuing on with the trend of changed viewpoints, in 2011, President Obama withdraws his organization's support of the Defense of Marriage Act. Additionally, in 2011, New York passed the Marriage Equality Act to legalizes gay marriage. -
Marriage Part 3
Lastly, in 2015 the 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court declares same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. This was a massive celebration within the LBGTQ+ community and a great advancement in their history of injustices and separation. -
Changes
The rights and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community have changed the most over time. At the beginning of their fight for acceptance, 1924, their support groups were shut down by the government. Over time, they have gained more rights, for example, the 2015 ruling for the right to marriage. This community has gone through many hardships which have lead to new rights. Overall, the community has gone from complete shame and rejection to having rights and more support. -
Future- where the country is heading and my predictions of the future
I believe that the LBGTQ community has gone through great change in their acceptance over the last couple of years and that this will continue in the future.One of the countries main priorities right now is for the LBGTQ community of people.This will allow the equality of the community to grow. As new generations are growing up, they are seeing equality and creating it.The future seems bright for this community as the country and new generations are creating new opportunities for this community. -
Compromises
The Democrats and Republicans have attempted to come to agreements through compromises, however, this has not been sufficient for the people involved.For example, in 2019, the Republican party introduces the idea of nondiscrimination within jobs, housing, education, and everything excluding religious beliefs.Like most of the compromises attempts, this did not work out and in this specific case, they gained the right.LBGTQ community has not had many compromises instead one extreme over the over. -
Citations Part 1
History.com Editors. (2017, June 28). Gay rights. History.com. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/history-of-gay-rights. In 1973, APA removed homosexuality from list of mental illnesses. HRC. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.hrc.org/news/flashbackfriday-today-in-1973-the-apa-removed-homosexuality-from-list-of-me. -
Citations Part 2
The New York Times. (1973, December 23). The A.P.A. ruling on homosexuality. The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/23/archives/the-issue-is-subtle-the-debate-still-on-the-apa-ruling-on.html. Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement. PBS. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-milestones-american-gay-rights-movement/.