7 Early Pneers of the Gay Rights Movement | HISTORY

Contents:

• THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT
• GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT
• THE 1960S AND GAY LIBERATN
• HOW GAY ACTIVISTS CHALLENGED THE POLICS OF CIVILY
• PARTY AND PROTT: THE RADIL HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATN, STONEWALL AND PRI
• GAY RIGHTS AND LGBTQI MOVEMENTS EUROPE
• 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)

THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT

Although members of the gay muny were divid their opns about the rt, hundreds of people returned to the scene for the next several nights, some to ntue vlent opposn to the police and others to exprs their sexualy public for the first time.

After Stonewall, however, a more radil polil nscns veloped that rulted om the formatn of many new groups, cludg the Gay Liberatn Front and Radilbians, whose members rejected the strategi and lled for a more ant rponse to homophobia. The papers clud sectns voted to muny updat, cultural events, and personal ads, but they also highlighted new polil ncerns, namely efforts to raise awarens about the problems of gay people prisons and ncerns about gay health. Public health thori, journalists, doctors, and even many the gay muny blamed gay liberatn and the looseng of sexual rtrictns for the epimic, but no one the medil or scientific muny actually unrstood the behavr of the vis.

E., for lbians, gays [homosexual mal], bisexuals, transgenr persons, and queer persons); seeks to elimate sodomy laws; and lls for an end to discrimatn agast LGBTQ persons employment, cred, hog, public acmodatns, and other areas of life.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

) Gay rights prr to the 20th century Relig admonns agast sexual relatns between dividuals of the same sex (particularly men) long stigmatized such behavur, but most legal s Europe were silent on the subject of homosexualy and bisexualy. Dpe Paragraph 175 and the failure of the WhK to w s repeal, homosexual and bisexual men and women experienced a certa amount of eedom Germany, particularly durg the Weimar perd, between the end of World War I and the Nazi seizure of power.

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.

In Bra 1957 a missn chaired by Sir John Wolfenn issued a groundbreakg report (see Wolfenn Report) remendg that private homosexual liaisons between nsentg adults be removed om the doma of crimal law; a later the remendatn was implemented by Parliament the Sexual Offenc Act. In the 1970s and ’80s, gay polil anizatns proliferated, particularly the Uned Stat and Europe, and spread to other parts of the globe, though their relative size, strength, and succs—and toleratn by thori—varied signifintly.

THE 1960S AND GAY LIBERATN

Now headquartered Geneva and renamed the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (ILGA World), plays a signifint role ordatg ternatnal efforts to promote human rights and fight discrimatn agast LGBTQ and tersex persons. This support, along wh mpaigns by gay activists urgg gay men and women to “e out of the closet” (ed, the late 1980s, Natnal Comg Out Day was tablished, and is now celebrated on October 11 most untri), enuraged gay men and women to enter the polil arena as ndidat.

HOW GAY ACTIVISTS CHALLENGED THE POLICS OF CIVILY

At the lol and natnal levels, the number of openly gay policians creased dramatilly durg the 1990s and 2000s, and 2009 Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir beme prime mister of Iceland, which ma her the world’s first openly gay head of ernment.

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

In Ai, Asia, and Lat Ameri, openly gay policians have had only limed succs wng office; notable electns to natnal legislatur clud Patria Jiménez Flor Mexi (1997), Mike Waters South Ai (1999), and Clodovil Hernans Brazil (2006). 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). Ary’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (1993–2011), which had permted gay and lbian dividuals to serve the ary if they did not disclose their sexual orientatn or engage homosexual activy; the repeal effectively end the ban on homosexuals the ary.

GAY RIGHTS AND LGBTQI MOVEMENTS EUROPE

Hodg), and 2020 the Court termed that firg an employee for beg homosexual or transgenr was a vlatn of Tle VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which prohibs discrimatn on the basis of sex (Bostock v. Graham add that, while he saw his votn as foced on preachg the gospel, he “was also fearful that her mpaign might galvanize and brg out to the open homosexualy throughout the untry, so that homosexuals would end up a stronger posn.

As Ta Fetner argu How the Relig Right Shaped Lbian and Gay Activism, Bryant and Briggs advertently revigorated what had been an creasgly dormant movement, givg a more ant and opposnal edge than had prevly. Activists personalized the issue for the first time: Openly gay polician Harvey Milk enuraged people to e out of the closet to their iends and neighbors, rhapg public opn about the challeng they faced. When vio was disvered showg Bay had pared gay people to maggots, the FRC argued that he was given the award not for his “misstatements” but for “his example of standg for the tth and for his 42 years of mistry.

Ironilly, though, the pathologizatn of homosexualy ed to jtify the mid-century rtrictns cleared the ground for both the assertn of “gay pri” on the one si and the failgs of the “ex-gay spokmen” on the other. Henry fers om this that “legislatn should benef fay stctur, not penalize them” and that legislatn should “prerve the civil rights of all, cludg homosexuals, but not approve and advance immoral liftyl” (emphasis add). This meetg will look at the pre-Stonewall world of the 1950s and 60s; how the broar radilisatn of Amerin society affected gay people; the extraordary and spirg tails of the rt; and the movement which grew out of the rt the US and Bra.

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)

He mpaigned agast Clse 28; was an aniser for Lbians and Gays Agast P Closur Manchter; has been active UNISON LGBT mpaigns; was one of the anisers of an anti-racist Pri London 2012; and has mpaigned agast Israeli pkwashg. They pneered this h-and-n tactic, known as the “zap actn, ” to urt necsary media attentn and force homophobic figur and stutns to acknowledge gay rights, a prott technique spired by other New Left groups like the Yippi and radil femist llectiv.

In the early 1970s, most zaps foced on prottg negative reprentatns of gays and lbians televisn shows, films and newspapers, like ABC's "Marc Welby MD" (zapped 1973 for s nflatn of homosexualy and illns), and NBC's "Police Woman" (zapped 1974 by the Lbian Femist Liberatn group, for pictg a gang of lbian murrers targetg elrly people a nursg home).

Some of their actns received bad prs – a TIME magaze article lled them “gay goons” and quoted one of their crics: “Why do people who claim to want human rights go around like a bunch of Storm Troopers tryg to timidate others? The biggt moment of the year volved former bety queen, sger, and Florida orange juice spokwoman Ana Bryant, who created the “Save Our Children” mpaign Miami, a Christian aln purportg to protect young people om recment by gay and lbian sexual predators. Bryant, who had referred to gays as “human garbage, ” was speakg about how to “do away wh the homosexuals” at a televised prs nference D Mo, Iowa, when young activist Thom Higgs smashed a pie her face.