“When discrimination against Blacks, Jews, and women, though prevalent, is no longer officially sanctioned, discrimination against homosexuals is condoned by both church and state.”
Two objectives
- Removal of laws and practices discriminating against homosexuals
- Acceptance of sexuality
- Considered an ethnic minority
- No permanent security
- Excluded
- Heterosexuals need to accept them as equals, not a sexual minority “Gay is good”
- Rejection of opinions held by those in authority regarding homosexuality
- That it is wrong just cause someone says it is
- Transition from victim/criminal to self defining minority
Gay Liberation
- Came from pervasive police harassment in 50s and 60s
- Weakening taboos around the discussion of homosexuality
- Anti-war movement gave an example for loud and proud demonstrations, something homosexuals could use later
- i.e. 1970: homosexuals disrupted an American Psychiatric Association aversion therapy meeting
Hippies
- “new spirit of sexual freedom”-> non-conformity, sexual deviance becomes mentionable
- Males want to challenge “macho” stereotype
- Females rethink traditional sex roles-> experiment with sexual pleasure
Pre-Liberation
- 1890s: WWII: homosexual emancipation
- 1896: first org. dedicated to ending discrimination against homosexuals (Magnus Hirschfeld-> Scientific-Humanitarian Committee
- 1895: trial of Oscar Wilde
- Publicized homosexuality
- Created fear among homosexual Englishmen, due to his fate (65)
- 1903: petition repealing P.175 of German penal code illegalizing homosexuality received 6000 names, not removed till late 60s.
- 1921: Institute for Sexual Research
- 1923: World League for Sexual Reform
- All destroyed by Nazis, before their reign gay cafes, bars, clubs and social groups flourished
- 1928: The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
- First portrayal of lesbianism
- WWII: poor treatment of homosexuals in war brought them together
- Post-war to Stonewall Riot of 1969: homophile movement
- 1950: Mattachine Society (masked singers) -> referring to the anonymity of homosexuals
- Wanted to create group consciousness about homosexuality
- Illegal across the United States
- Newspapers supported purges of homosexuals
- Medical researchers had interesting rehabilitation techniques (lobotomies, castration, and electric shock) (68)
- Homophile movement-> love of same
- Members of Mattachine and Daughters of Bilitis
- By removing the word sexuality from thetitle the focus would hopefully shift from sex acts to the individual people
- 1965: first protesting occurred outside White House, Pentagon, State Department, Independence hall in Phili.
- New Years 1965: San Fran Costume Ball benefiting Council on Religion and Homosexuality
- Barricaded by police
- 500 homosexuals, ministers and wives entered the ball defying the police.
- Beginning of the decrease in isolation forced upon homosexuals who were now supported by progressive heterosexuals
- Only about 5000 members
- Greenwich Village bar populated by drag queens and lesbians
- Raided by police-> patrons threw cans and bottles as they were angry at the police for invading their privacy
- Resulted in a 2 night riot: 2000 vs 400 police
- Symbolic end to the victim status of homosexuality
- “Gay power” graffiti began to occur in Greenwich Village
- GLF (Gay Liberation Front) and GAA (Gay Activist Alliance) were formed
- GLF-> coalitions with other progressive groups
- GAA-> single issue stance, influential in movement
- Activists no longer feared being “out”
Gay and lesbian Liberation
- Declaring their personal preferences was a radical political movement
- Sexual self-determination= fundamental human right
- Could not be forced back into the closet as they had poured out in masses
- Pink triangle symbol-> from what male homosexuals were forced to wear in concentration camps/Nazi Germany
- Creating laws that protected those who were out from discrimination (job and housing)
- 1978: Proposition 6
- San Francisco and across California
- Needed to defeat Briggs initiative
- Would require schools to fire homosexuals or any teacher who speaks positively of homosexuality in class
- Implied that homosexuals could not be trusted with children
- Homosexuals in San Fran feared persecution
- 1972: Harvey Milk moves to San Francisco with lover Scott Smith
- Runs for Supervisor 2x and does not get elected (1975 and 76)
- Opens Castro Camera where he will campaign from
- 1977: Anita Bryant launches modern anti gay movement
- 1978: ELECTED into public office along with first Asian, and first black woman in public office. Along with future murderer Dan White
- Prop 6 by Briggs: Ban Gay teachers
- Heterosexual parents, teachers etc speech. Nov. 7 defeated
- Wrote his Will in anticipation of his assassination.
- Assassinated by Dan White in Nov. 1978, November27. Along with George Moscone (mayor)
- Dan White considered a hero by anti gay activists
- First gay person elected into office (supervisor)
- United the gay community-> candlelit ceremony from Castro district to city hall
- Campaigned against Briggs
- Assassination lead to the White Night Riots
- Dan White charged with manslaughter, served 5/7 years
- California rule said people who killed officials could suffer the death penalty…
- Ticked off 5000 homosexuals -> march -> riot
- Police were not allowed to fight rioters, so they went into Castro district and beat pedestrians, invaded a gay bar
- The Gay community continues to struggle to this day to ascertain equal rights under law and societal values
