Gay rights: five activists reflect on the history of the movement the US | Ruth Spencer | The Guardian

Contents:

• THE HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATN
• GAY RIGHTS: FIVE ACTIVISTS REFLECT ON THE HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT THE US
• HOW THE GAY-RIGHTS MOVEMENT WON
• 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)
• A BRIEF HISTORY OF LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

THE HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATN

The most mon “treatment” at the time was talk therapy, but many gay men and women were subjected to more aggrsive terventns such as aversn therapy and electronvulsive therapy—even, extremis, stratn or lobotomy. Meanwhile, the World Health Organizatn Geneva only removed homosexualy om s Internatnal Classifitn of Diseas (ICD) wh the publitn of ICD-10 1992, although ICD-10 still rried the nstct of "ego-dystonic sexual orientatn.

As I discs The Meang of Madns, the evolutn of the stat of homosexualy the classifitns of mental disorrs highlights that ncepts of mental disorr n be rapidly evolvg social nstcts that change as society chang. Today, the standard of psychotherapy the US and Europe is gay affirmative psychotherapy, which enurag gay people to accept their sexual orientatn—although some licensed profsnals still nduct so-lled "nversn therapy. Gay marriage has been legal for some years now, but the old notns of s and mental illns, of guilt and aquacy, live on the llective nscns, cludg the substance of gay people born long after the 1970s.

Called to actn by gay actor and LGBTQ rights activist Gee Takei, thoands of gay men untered the bigotry of the Proud Boys by postg photos unr the hashtag wh their partners and children. Born om the 1969 Stonewall uprisg, the nascent gay liberatn movement of the 1970s–᾽80s embraced a radilly tersectnal approach, lkg arms wh ntemporary femist and anti-racist movements to seek social transformatn.

GAY RIGHTS: FIVE ACTIVISTS REFLECT ON THE HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT THE US

”Durg a time when most bars refed to serve gay people, the Mattache Society, one of the untry’s first gay rights anizatns, staged a “Sip-In, ” durg which activists entered a New York Cy bar, announced they were gay, orred drks, and waed to be Braerd/The Denver Post via GettyJune 28, 1969: The Stonewall rts spark the begng of the LGBT the early morng hours on June 28, 1969, police performed a raid of the Stonewall Inn, a New York Cy gay bar — and the ctomers and their supporters took a stand. Those “Stonewall rts” are largely nsired the start of the LGBTQ civil rights movement the Uned Hir/Getty1973: Homosexualy is no longer clared a mental years of studi, analysis, and changg cultural attus, the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn’s board of directors removed homosexualy om the official list of mental illns, known as the Diagnostic and Statistil Manual of Mental Disorrs, a move that was upheld wh a vote by the associatn’s membership.

HOW THE GAY-RIGHTS MOVEMENT WON

), voluntarily me out as gay, makg him the send openly gay member of ngrs, and the first to e out voluntarily, the untry’s, 2000: Vermont tak a huge step toward same-sex marriage legalizatn. Armed, 2013: SCOTUS strik down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which beme a law 1996, clared that marriag between gay or lbian upl were not regnized by the feral ernment, meang those upl uld not receive legal benefs — like Social Secury and health surance — that straight married upl uld. Senators Jeff Merkley, Tammy Baldw, and Cory Booker, as well as Reprentative David Cicille formerly troduced The Equaly Act, which would make LGBTQ dividuals a protected class and grant them basic legal protectns areas of life cludg tn, hog, employment, cred, and, 2016: The Stonewall Inn will bee a natnal Obama admistratn announced that they are preparg to signate New York’s Stonewall Inn, the se of those historic rts 1969, the first-ever natnal monument dited to gay, 2016: The Obama admistratn publicly supports transgenr the midst of anti-transgenr movements throughout the untry, Print Obama and his admistratn issued a directive to all public schools that transgenr stunts should be allowed to e the rtrooms that reflect their genr inty.

December 15, 1973 - By a vote of 5, 854 to 3, 810, the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn remov homosexualy om s list of mental disorrs the DSM-II Diagnostic and Statistil Manual of Mental Disorrs. November 30, 1993 - Print Bill Clton signs a ary policy directive that prohibs openly gay and lbian Amerins om servg the ary, but also prohibs the harassment of “closeted” homosexuals.

December 3, 1996 - Hawaii’s Judge Chang l that the state do not have a legal right to prive same-sex upl of the right to marry, makg Hawaii the first state to regnize that gay and lbian upl are entled to the same privileg as heterosexual married upl. 'We've sold out our radil unrpngs' – Jeanne CordovaA -founr of the LGBT movement, Jeanne Cordova is a muny anizer, publisher, and thor who has anized four major lbian nferenc, -found key gay anizatns, and played major rol featg California's two anti-gay ballot Cordova for gay rights panel. Yet the gay civil rights movement feels very changed to me om s outlaw a young Catholic I was personally radilized by the black civil rights stggle, the anti-war Vietnam mobilizatn, and liberatn theology while I was the nvent 1966.

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)

At the age of 22, I joed the tail-end of the homophile movement as gave way to gay liberatn five years as a full time activist and social outlaw, I felt my movement make a profound shift, away om the radil roots of gay liberatn and radil femism. Dpe this rapid progrs, lbian, gay and transgenr people the ral midwt and the south – as well as Ai and the Middle East – are still beg forced out of their jobs and hog, huiated or beaten on the streets and murred. Photograph: GuardianWhen I joed the post-Stonewall gay rights movement of the early 1970s, we activists were almost all eher leftists or progrsive Democrats, fightg agast the Vietnam war and racism, and for women's rights and sexual liberatn.

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

While out gay elected officials the '70s such as Harvey Milk San Francis and Elae Noble Massachetts were eply volved progrsive movements, openly gay officials like them are ed rare.