The History of Gay Liberatn | Psychology Today

gay liberation movements

Gay rights movement, civil rights movement that advot equal rights for LGBTQ persons—that is, for lbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenr persons, and queer persons—and lls for an end to discrimatn agast LGBTQ persons employment, cred, hog, public acmodatns, and other areas of life.

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GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

* gay liberation movements *

In the Uned Stat this greater visibily brought some backlash, particularly om the ernment and the police: the ernment often fired gay civil servants, the ary attempted to purge s ranks of gay soldiers (a policy enacted durg World War II), and police vice squads equently raid gay bars and arrted their patrons. In the Uned Stat the first major male anizatn, found 1950–51 by Harry Hay Los Angel, was the Mattache Society (s name reputedly rived om a medieval French society of masked players, the Société Mattache, to reprent the public “maskg” of homosexualy), while the Dghters of Bilis (named after the Sapphic love poems of Pierre Louÿs, Chansons Bilis), found 1955 by Phyllis Lyon and Del Mart San Francis, was a leadg group for women. Other issu of primary importance for the gay rights movement sce the 1970s clud batg the HIV/AIDS epimic and promotg disease preventn and fundg for rearch; lobbyg ernment for nondiscrimatory polici employment, hog, and other aspects of civil society; endg the ban on ary service for gay and lbian dividuals; expandg hate crim legislatn to clu protectns for gays, cludg transgenr dividuals; and securg marriage rights for same-sex upl (see same-sex marriage).

THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT

Ernment signated Gerber’s Chigo hoe a Natnal Historic Landmark.The Pk TriangleCorbis/Getty ImagHomosexual prisoners at the ncentratn mp at Sachsenhsen, Germany, wearg pk triangl on their uniforms on December 19, 1938.The gay rights movement stagnated for the next few s, though LGBT dividuals around the world did e to the spotlight a few tim.For example, English poet and thor Radclyffe Hall stirred up ntroversy 1928 when she published her lbian-themed novel, The Well of Lonels. And durg World War II, the Nazis held homosexual men ncentratn mps, brandg them wh the famo pk triangle badge, which was also given to sexual predators.Addnally, 1948, his book Sexual Behavr the Human Male, Aled Ksey proposed that male sexual orientatn li on a ntuum between exclively homosexual to exclively heterosexual.The Homophile Years In 1950, Harry Hay found the Mattache Foundatn, one of the natn’s first gay rights group. The Los Angel anizatn ed the term “homophile,” which was nsired ls clil and foced on sexual activy than “homosexual.”Though started off small, the foundatn, which sought to improve the liv of gay men through discsn groups and related activi, expand after foundg member Dale Jenngs was arrted 1952 for solicatn and then later set ee due to a adlocked jury.At the end of the year, Jenngs formed another anizatn lled One, Inc., which weled women and published ONE, the untry’s first pro-gay magaze.

Post Office, which 1954 clared the magaze “obscene” and refed to liver .The Mattache Society Mattache Foundatn members rtctured the anizatn to form the Mattache Society, which had lol chapters other parts of the untry and 1955 began publishg the untry’s send gay publitn, The Mattache Review. That same year, four lbian upl San Francis found an anizatn lled the Dghters of Bilis, which soon began publishg a newsletter lled The Ladr, the first lbian publitn of any kd.The early years of the movement also faced some notable setbacks: the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn listed homosexualy as a form of mental disorr 1952.The followg year, Print Dwight D. In fact, gay men and women New York Cy uld not be served alhol public due to liquor laws that nsired the gatherg of homosexuals to be “disorrly.”In fear of beg shut down by thori, bartenrs would ny drks to patrons spected of beg gay or kick them out altogether; others would serve them drks but force them to s facg away om other ctomers to prevent them om socializg.In 1966, members of the Mattache Society New York Cy staged a “sip-”—a twist on the “s-” protts of the 1960s— which they vised taverns, clared themselv gay, and waed to be turned away so they uld sue.

They were nied service at the Greenwich Village tavern Juli, rultg much publicy and the quick reversal of the anti-gay liquor laws.The Stonewall Inn A few years later, 1969, a now-famo event talyzed the gay rights movement: The Stonewall Rts.The clanste gay club Stonewall Inn was an stutn Greenwich Village bee was large, cheap, allowed dancg and weled drag queens and homels youths.But the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York Cy police raid the Stonewall Inn. After the Stonewall Rts, a msage was pated on the outsi of the board-up bar readg, "We homosexuals plead wh out people to please help mata peaceful and quiet nduct on the streets of the village." This sign was wrten by the Mattache Society–an early anizatn dited to fightg for gay rights.In reportg the events, The New York Daily News rorted to homophobic slurs s tailed verage, nng the headle: “Homo Nt Raid, Queen Be Are Stgg Mad.” The amed newspaper article hangs near the entrance of Stonewall Inn to this day.An unintified group of young people celebrate outsi the board-up Stonewall Inn after the rts. More and more supporters gathered outsi the bar, chantg slogans like “gay power” and “we shall overe.”Over the next several nights, gay activists ntued to gather near the Stonewall, takg advantage of the moment to spread rmatn and build the muny that would fuel the growth of the gay rights movement.

7 EARLY PNEERS OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENTBEFORE THE STONEWALL RTS, THE ACTIVISTS HELPED SET THE STAGE FOR ADVANC THE LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.BY: JOSEPH BENNGTON-CASTROUPDATED: JUNE 8, 2023 | ORIGAL: JUNE 1, 2023PY PAGE LKPRT PAGEBILL MRER/NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE VIA GETTY IMAGTHE 1960S SAW SOME MAJOR STRIS LGBTQ ACTIVISM, CLUDG THE GAY “SIP-IN” PROTT AGAST DISCRIMATN OM NEW YORK CY BARS AND THE 1969 STONEWALL RTS. BUT SOME ACTIVISTS TOOK A STAND FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS BEFORE THAT FAMED , OPERATG UNR THE FEAR OF LOSG THEIR JOBS SHOULD THEY BE OUTED OR BEG ARRTED FOR SIMPLY EXISTG HETERONORMATIVE SPAC. THE URAGE OF THE EARLY U.S. QUEER ACTIVISTS SET THE STAGE FOR POLIL VICTORI LGBTQ RIGHTS THE S TO E.WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN (1860–?)JT THREE YEARS BEFORE THE EMANCIPATN PROCLAMATN, WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN WAS BORN THE PROPERTY OF A WHE PLANTATN WOMAN, ACRDG TO REARCH BY CHANNG GERARD JOSEPH. HE GREW UP TO BEE THE FIRST PERSON THE UNED STAT TO FIGHT FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY’S RIGHT TO GATHER THROUGH LEGAL AND POLIL CHANNELS. HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST SELF-PROFSED QUEEN OF DRAG.SWANN HELD DRAG BALLS, OR DANCE PARTI WHICH ATTEN (BLACK MEN, MANY FORMER SLAV) WOULD DRS WOMEN’S SILKS AND SATS. ONE OF THE WASHGTON, D.C. PARTI WAS RAID BY POLICE 1888 AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THE DRAGGED-UP ATTEN WERE ARRTED, SWANN CLUD.HE WAS TAED SEVERAL MORE TIM AND NVICTED 1896 FOR THE FALSE CHARGE OF “KEEPG A DISORRLY HOE,” OR A BROTHEL. DURG HIS 10-MONTH SENTENCE, SWANN PETNED PRINT GROVER CLEVELAND FOR A PARDON, WHICH WAS NIED. AFTER HIS RELEASE, SWANN NTUED TO THROW BALLS AS THE QUEEN OF DRAG. THE YEAR OF HIS ATH IS UNCERTA, ALTHOUGH SOME LIST AS 1925, WHEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 66-67 YEARS OLD.HENRY GERBER (1892–1972)IN 1924, HENRY GERBER FOUND THE FIRST GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN AMERI: THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE CHIGO-BASED ANIZATN PRODUCED FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM, THE FIRST AMERIN PUBLITN FOR HOMOSEXUALS.IN 1925, GERBER AND OTHER ANIZATN MEMBERS WERE ARRTED FOR “OBSCENY” AFTER THE POLICE RECEIVED A TIP OM A -FOUNR’S WIFE. THOUGH THE CHARG WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED, FIGHTG THEM ST GERBER HIS LIFE’S SAVGS AND HIS JOB WH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, AS WELL AS THE DISSOLUTN OF HIS ANIZATN.GERBER WENT ON TO LIVE AN UNASSUMG LIFE, WRG ARTICL ABOUT HOMOSEXUAL OPPRSN UNR A PSDONYM, WORKG AND BUILDG MUNY.HARRY HAY (1912–2002)HARRY HAY WAS A MUNIST ACTIVIST WHO -FOUND THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, THE FIRST ENDURG GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN, 1950. HAY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIVORCED BY HIS WIFE, FELLOW MUNIST ANA PLATKY, AND EXPELLED OM THE MUNIST PARTY, WHICH NSIRED HIM A SECURY RISK, A FEW YEARS LATER. THE BURGEONG MATTACHE SOCIETY FORCED HAY AND OTHER MUNIST FOUNRS TO STEP DOWN 1953.HAY NTUED HIS QUEER ACTIVISM FOLLOWG HIS EXPULSN. HE WAS ELECTED THE FIRST CHAIR OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAY LIBERATN FRONT—A ANT QUEER RIGHTS GROUP—AFTER THE STONEWALL RTS AND -FOUND THE RADIL FAIRI A LATER. HE SPENT HIS LATER YEARS BEG VOLVED NATIVE AMERIN TWO-SPIR ACTIVISM.DEL MART (1921–2008) AND PHYLLIS LYON (1924–2020)NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARYPHYLIS LYON AND DEL MART, CIR 1970.IN 1955, DEL MART AND PHYLLIS LYON -FOUND THE FIRST MAJOR ANIZATN FOR LBIANS THE UNED STAT—THE DGHTERS OF BILIS. THE UPLE SOON LNCHED AND BEME EDORS OF LADR, THE ANIZATN’S NATNAL PUBLITN AND PLATFORM FOR LBIANS TO ANONYMOLY OR OPENLY WRE ABOUT ISSU PERTENT TO THE MUNY. MART AND LYON WERE ALSO THE FIRST LBIAN UPLE TO JO THE NATNAL ORGANIZATN FOR WOMEN.DGHTERS OF BILIS EVENTUALLY SHUTTERED AS THE QUEER RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEME MORE ANT, BUT MART AND LYON NTUED THEIR ACTIVISM. AFTER MORE THAN FIVE S TOGETHER, THE PAIR WERE THE FIRST OF 90 GAY UPL TO BE ILLEGALLY MARRIED BY SAN FRANCIS’S THEN-MAYOR GAV NEWSOM. THEY WERE MARRIED AGA FOUR YEARS LATER, 2008, AFTER CALIFORNIA LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. DALE JENNGS (1917–2000)A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, DALE JENNGS BEME A QUEER RIGHTS HERO WHEN HE PROTTED URT A 1951 CHARGE OF SEXUAL SOLICATN LOS ANGEL. AT THE TIME, ENTRAPMENT BY TECTIV POSG AS GAY MEN BARS, PUBLIC PARKS, AND RTROOMS WAS MON. THOSE CHARGED WH SOLICG POLICE OFFICERS FOR SEX TYPILLY PLEAD GUILTY RATHER THAN FACE BEG OUTED AS GAY. JENNGS, AT HAY’S SUGGTN, FOUGHT THE CHARGE TO BRG ATTENTN TO THE DISCRIMATORY POLICY. IN 1952, THE JURY ADLOCKED FOR ACQUTAL AND THE JUDGE DISMISSED THE CHARGE.THAT YEAR, JENNGS -FOUND ONE INC., WHICH PRODUCED THE NATNAL GAY JOURNAL ONE MAGAZE. IN 1954, A LOS ANGEL POSTMASTER NFISTED THE MAGAZE FOR BEG ''OBSCENE, LEWD, LASCIV AND FILTHY,” WHICH ONE FOUGHT URT. A LOWER URT LED FAVOR OF THE POSTMASTER BUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, 1958, UNANIMOLY REVERSED THE CISN, UPHOLDG A NSTUTNAL PROTECTN FOR PRO-GAY WRGS.CHRISTE JENSEN (1926–1989)

1 / 12: NY Daily News Archive/Getty ImagChristopher Street Liberatn Day Shortly after the Stonewall uprisg, members of the Mattache Society spl off to form the Gay Liberatn Front, a radil group that lnched public monstratns, protts and nontatns wh polil officials.Siar groups followed, cludg the Gay Activists Alliance, Radilbians, and Street Transvt Actn Revolutnari (STAR).In 1970, at the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Rts, New York Cy muny members marched through lol streets memoratn of the event.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

In 1977, for stance, the New York Supreme Court led that transgenr woman Renée Richards uld play at the Uned Stat Open tennis tournament as a woman.Addnally, several openly LGBTQ dividuals secured public office posns: Kathy Kozachenko won a seat to the Ann Harbor, Michigan, Cy Council 1974, beg the first out Amerin to be elected to public office.Harvey Milk, who mpaigned on a pro-gay rights platform, beme the San Francis cy supervisor 1978, beg the first openly gay man elected to a polil office California.Milk asked Gilbert Baker, an artist and gay rights activist, to create an emblem that reprents the movement and would be seen as a symbol of pri.

THE HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATN

Baker signed and stched together the first rabow flag, which he unveiled at a pri para 1978.The followg year, 1979, more than 100,000 people took part the first Natnal March on Washgton for Lbian and Gay Rights.Outbreak of AIDS The outbreak of AIDS the Uned Stat domated the stggle for gay rights the 1980s and early 1990s.

GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT

In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventn published a report about five prevly healthy homosexual men beg fected wh a rare type of pnmonia.By 1984, rearchers had intified the e of AIDS—the human immunoficiency vis, or HIV—and the Food and Dg Admistratn licensed the first mercial blood tt for HIV 1985. But after failg to garner enough support for such an open policy, Print Clton 1993 passed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, which allowed gay men and women to serve the ary as long as they kept their sexualy a secret.Gay rights advot cried the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, as did ltle to stop people om beg discharged on the grounds of their sexualy.In 2011, Print Obama fulfilled a mpaign promise to repeal DADT; by that time, more than 12,000 officers had been discharged om the ary unr DADT for refg to hi their sexualy. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was officially repealed on September 20, 2011.Gay Marriage and Beyond In 1992, the District of Columbia passed a law that allowed gay and lbian upl to register as domtic partners, grantg them some of the rights of marriage (the cy of San Francis passed a siar ordance three years prr and California would later extend those rights to the entire state 1999).In 1993, the hight urt  Hawaii led that a ban on gay marriage may go agast the state’s nstutn.

PARTY AND PROTT: THE RADIL HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATN, STONEWALL AND PRI

In 1994, a new anti-hate-crime law allowed judg to impose harsher sentenc if a crime was motivated by a victim’s sexual orientatn.The Matthew Shepard ActCourty of the Matthew Shepard FoundatnMatthew Shepard, who was btally killed a hate crime 1998.In 2003, gay rights proponents had another b of happy news: the U.S. The murr was thought to be driven by Shepard’s perceived homosexualy.In 2011, Print Obama fulfilled a mpaign promise to repeal DADT; by that time, more than 12,000 officers had been discharged om the ary unr DADT for refg to hi their sexualy.A uple of years later, the Supreme Court led agast Sectn 3 of DOMA, which allowed the ernment to ny feral benefs to married same-sex upl. Sourc:William Dorsey Swann: The first "Queen of Drag": PBSFrom slavery to vogug: the Hoe of Swann: Natnal Mms LiverpoolHenry Gerber: The Chigo LGBT Hall of FameHenry Gerber: The Legacy ProjectLGBTQ Activism: The Henry Gerber Hoe, Chigo, IL: Natnal Park ServiceThe Incredible Story of Del and Phyllis: Smhsonian MagazeHow the Dghters of Bilis Organized for Lbian Rights: Smhsonian’s Amerin Women’s History MmWilliam Dale Jenngs, 82, Wrer and Gay Rights Pneer: New York TimRadilly Gay, The Life of Harry Hay: San Francis Public LibraryHarry Hay, John Cage, and the Birth of Gay Rights Los Angel: The New YorkerHarry Hay – Nomee: The Legacy ProjectLife Story: Christe Jensen (1926-1989): New York Historil Society Mm & Library.

A GLIMPSE INTO 1970S GAY ACTIVISM

Biblil terpretatn ma illegal for a woman to wear pants or a man to adopt female drs, and sensatnalized public trials warned agast “viants” but also ma such martyrs and hero popular: Joan of Arc is one example, and the chillg origs of the word “faggot” clu a stick of wood ed public burngs of gay men. This creasg awarens of an existg and vulnerable populatn, upled wh Senator Joseph McCarthy’s vtigatn of homosexuals holdg ernment jobs durg the early 1950s outraged wrers and feral employe whose own liv were shown to be send-class unr the law, cludg Frank Kameny, Barbara Gtgs, Allen Gsberg, and Harry Hay.

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