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How Has The Gay Rights Movement America Evolved Since The 1960s?
In the past, gays were looked down upon as insane or outcasts because majority of the people did not want to be associated with gays. As a result, the gay community lived secluded from the society like people suffering from leprosy. The United States has in the recent past accepted gays as part of the community, but in order to be recognized the community has to persevere or endure a number of challenges.
The documentary video titled “American Experience: Stonewall Uprising,” brings out clearly the struggles that the gay people had to undergo in order to be recognized. The documentary brings out the events that led to riots at the Stonewall Inn in the City of New York in the year 1969. In the 1960s, being a gay was not only illegal but was regarded as a sign of insanity. The documentary shows that the police were aware of the gay community, but they were paid to leave them alone.
The police would carry out raids early in the day, but on that particular night, things were different as a large crowd confronted the police the following night. The aftermath of the confrontation was that the gay community came out in public for the first time ever. One year later, the first ever-gay parade was held to defuse the notion that gays were insane people.
In the elections that took place in the 1970s, a man by the name Harvey Milk, became the first ever open gay to be elected to a political office. He was elected to serve at the San Francisco Board of supervisors. Unfortunately, he was assassinated by a former rival who was later arrested and brought to justice; an event which was as historic as his election. Individuals who were never brought to book had murdered many African Americans during the civil rights movement; that was a signal that people were starting to take the gay movement seriously.
The early 1980s was another milestone for the gay community because the AIDS epidemic had just started during this era. Many gay people felt that they were not given any health care services. This compelled them to hold rallies in a bid to sensitize their members about the disease. In the year 1987, the gay community added another feather on their hat: a congressional representative by the name of Barney Frank came out and stated that he was gay. This was an achievement because the gay community had one of their own serving in the House of Representatives.
The early 1990s saw a rise in gay unions, thus opening a door for gay marriages. This era was not smooth sailing for the gay community because a policy known as “the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was put in place. The law banned gays from serving in the military. As a result, majority of the gay community had to hide their identity. The policy was however repealed by the Obama Administration on July of the year 2011. This meant that after 20th September 2011, gay people were now confident of revealing their identity without fear of discrimination.
In the year 2012, Congresswoman by the name of Tammy Baldwin successfully clinched the title of the first ever openly female gay in the United States House of Representatives after convincingly defeating the former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thomson in the 2012 elections. This made her the first ever openly gay person male or female to be elected senator.
Conclusion
The gay rights movement has undergone tremendous changes since the 1960s. The gay community is no longer regarded as a bunch of insane people. Their rights are now being respected and the community has learned to accept them as part of them. Gay people can now marry and live their lives just like as other couples. They can have access to health services without fear of victimization. Laws that were against the rights of the gays no longer dominate the world because those that protect the gay community thrive all over the world.
