Difference between revisions of "Gay and lesbian rights"

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<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> . Breaking away from the hushed integration favored by gays and lesbians in the 1950s <ref> The Gay Rights Movement." American Social Reform Movements Reference Library. Ed. Judy Galens. Vol. 1. Detroit: U*X*L, 2007. 28 pp. 5 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008  
 
<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> . Breaking away from the hushed integration favored by gays and lesbians in the 1950s <ref> The Gay Rights Movement." American Social Reform Movements Reference Library. Ed. Judy Galens. Vol. 1. Detroit: U*X*L, 2007. 28 pp. 5 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008  
 
<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> , Kameny fought society’s rejection of the gay community at a primarily legal level <ref> Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> – distributing pamphlets, giving legal aid to homosexuals who were treated unfairly by the law, and challenging antigay legislation on both a state and a national level <ref> Robinson, Greg. "Kameny, Franklin (1925-)." Civil Rights in the United States.  Waldo E. Martin, Jr. and Patricia Sullivan. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008  
 
<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> , Kameny fought society’s rejection of the gay community at a primarily legal level <ref> Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> – distributing pamphlets, giving legal aid to homosexuals who were treated unfairly by the law, and challenging antigay legislation on both a state and a national level <ref> Robinson, Greg. "Kameny, Franklin (1925-)." Civil Rights in the United States.  Waldo E. Martin, Jr. and Patricia Sullivan. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008  
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<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> . However, Kameny’s picket marches are also famed for their impact on the gay community, as well as on society as a whole. Kameny also won renown within the G/L/B/T movement when he began a public relations campaign to force psychiatrists to reconsider their position on homosexuality as a mental disorder. The campaign was largely successful, culminating in a takeover of a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in 1971, and ending with the removal of homosexuality from the Association’s list of mental illnesses in 1973. As a whole, Frank Kameny’s impact on the push for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights was massive. He secured countless legal victories for gays in both Washington and at large, and fired the gay community to greater levels of indignant-ness at its current situation, inspiring countless other groups and organizations dedicated to securing equality and gay rights, while at the same time maintaining a positive public image of homosexuality with his unique approach, and pushing public perceptions of gay men and women in a new direction. During the ‘70s, Franklin Kameny’s influence began to fade from the G/L/B/T movement, but the lasting impact of his ideas and actions can still be felt today, within both the gay community and society at large.
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<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> . However, Kameny’s picket marches are also famed for their impact on the gay community, as well as on society as a whole <ref> Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008
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<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> . Kameny also won renown within the G/L/B/T movement when he began a public relations campaign to force psychiatrists to reconsider their position on homosexuality as a mental disorder <ref> Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008
 +
<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> . The campaign was largely successful, culminating in a takeover of a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in 1971 <ref> Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008
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<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. </ref> , and ending with the removal of homosexuality from the Association’s list of mental illnesses in 1973. As a whole, Frank Kameny’s impact on the push for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights was massive. He secured countless legal victories for gays in both Washington and at large, and fired the gay community to greater levels of indignant-ness at its current situation, inspiring countless other groups and organizations dedicated to securing equality and gay rights, while at the same time maintaining a positive public image of homosexuality with his unique approach, and pushing public perceptions of gay men and women in a new direction. During the ‘70s, Franklin Kameny’s influence began to fade from the G/L/B/T movement, but the lasting impact of his ideas and actions can still be felt today, within both the gay community and society at large.
  
 
=== Reed Erickson ===
 
=== Reed Erickson ===

Revision as of 08:35, 3 September 2008

Summary

During the 1960s, there emerged within the United States a revolutionary movement that would change the way people thought about homosexuality. Driven by such powerful events as the Stonewall riots and Frank Kameny’s Washington, D.C. picket, and fronted by such influential leaders as Reed Erickson, Phillis Lyon and Del Martin, the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender movement sought to redefine social equality and pushed for equal treatment for homosexuals. Also emphasized within the G/L/B/T movement was an openness foreign to the timid “homophile” movement popular among gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people during the 50s. Although no single person or group can accurately be said to have “lead” the massive push for change that was the G/L/B/T movement, most groups and organizations at the forefront of the movement can be said to have shared a similar set of goals and aspirations: equality, and the freedom to be openly gay.

Important People

Although the G/L/B/T movement owes many victories to the men and women – young, old, and middle-aged, who stood behind organizations, marches and one another during a time in which homosexuality was largely scorned by both the public and the law, a handful of these bold crusaders stands out as the engines that kicked the movement into life, propelling it into to a higher level of intensity and recognition with their drive to secure change.

Frank Kameny

A brilliant and goal-oriented, opportunistic young man [1] , Franklin Kameny was fired from a career in the army in 1957 for being openly gay [2] . Unable to return to his job, Frank began a vigorous legal battle that would garner national attention, and lead him into the life of one of the G/L/B/T movement’s most powerful, and determined, advocates [3] . After having his case rejected by the Supreme Court in 1961 [4] , Kameny, fed up with society’s rejection of homosexuality, founded the Mattachine Society of Washington, commonly known as the Mattachine Society. Franklin’s new organization grouped both gays and their heterosexual supporters under the word, “homophile,” [5] a term designed to promote the idea of romantic, rather than physical, homosexual love [6] . Breaking away from the hushed integration favored by gays and lesbians in the 1950s [7] , Kameny fought society’s rejection of the gay community at a primarily legal level [8] – distributing pamphlets, giving legal aid to homosexuals who were treated unfairly by the law, and challenging antigay legislation on both a state and a national level [9] . However, Kameny’s picket marches are also famed for their impact on the gay community, as well as on society as a whole [10] . Kameny also won renown within the G/L/B/T movement when he began a public relations campaign to force psychiatrists to reconsider their position on homosexuality as a mental disorder [11] . The campaign was largely successful, culminating in a takeover of a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in 1971 [12] , and ending with the removal of homosexuality from the Association’s list of mental illnesses in 1973. As a whole, Frank Kameny’s impact on the push for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights was massive. He secured countless legal victories for gays in both Washington and at large, and fired the gay community to greater levels of indignant-ness at its current situation, inspiring countless other groups and organizations dedicated to securing equality and gay rights, while at the same time maintaining a positive public image of homosexuality with his unique approach, and pushing public perceptions of gay men and women in a new direction. During the ‘70s, Franklin Kameny’s influence began to fade from the G/L/B/T movement, but the lasting impact of his ideas and actions can still be felt today, within both the gay community and society at large.

Reed Erickson

Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin

Important Events

Just as much as the people and organizations that drove the G/L/B/T movement, the events that it encountered and took part in helped to shape the direction and nature of the rising civil rights movement among gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people.

The Stonewall Riots

The Picket Marches

Groups

The groups and organizations that propelled the gay rights movement into the forefront of America’s social conscious were varied in both goals and approaches. However, they all shared the basic desire to attain equality for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.

The Mattachine Society

The Daughters of Bilitis

Gay Liberation Front (GLF)

Gay Activists Alliance (GAA)

Why Opposition?

Notes and References

  1. ↑ Robinson, Greg. "Kameny, Franklin (1925-)." Civil Rights in the United States. Waldo E. Martin, Jr. and Patricia Sullivan. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  2. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  3. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  4. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  5. ↑ Robinson, Greg. "Kameny, Franklin (1925-)." Civil Rights in the United States. Waldo E. Martin, Jr. and Patricia Sullivan. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  6. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  7. ↑ The Gay Rights Movement." American Social Reform Movements Reference Library. Ed. Judy Galens. Vol. 1. Detroit: U*X*L, 2007. 28 pp. 5 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  8. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Greg. "Kameny, Franklin (1925-)." Civil Rights in the United States. Waldo E. Martin, Jr. and Patricia Sullivan. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  10. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  11. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
  12. ↑ Johnson, David K. "Kameny, Franklin." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 3 pp. 3 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. ST JOHNS SCHOOL. 2 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.
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