1963-72, Homosexuals

Question 1

Homosexual Rights

Context

Answer 1

Homosexuality illegal
WW2 - thousands of people dishonourably discharged from military
1953 - Eisenhower, executive order claiming homosexuality reason to fire federal employee
American Psychiastric Institute classified as mental illness (until 1974)

Question 2

Homosexual Rights

Early Movement

Answer 2

Underground groups in cities e.g San Fran, NY, LA
But subject to intimidation by police, random attacks from public (gay bashing)

Question 3

Homosexual Rights

Early Groups Established

Answer 3

First male group - Mattachine Society (1950)
Discussion of emulating black civil rights + Black Power movement
Lesbian rights group - Daughters of Bilitis (1955, SF)
1965 - March in front of White House to protest homosexual repression in Cuba + USA

Question 4

Homosexual Rights

Stonewall Riots

Answer 4

Entrapment by police led to anger
28th June 1969 - five days of riots after police raid on Stonewall Inn, Greenwich Village, NYC
Seen as birth of LGBTQ+ rights

Question 5

Homosexual Rights

Consequences of Riots

Answer 5

Increased LGBT consciousness
1970 - First Pride parade in NYC
1973 - almost 800 gay and lesbian organisations
Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco openly gay
1974 - American Psychiatric Society removed homosexuality from list of conditions
1977 - first openly gay political official, Harvey Milk

Question 6

Homosexual Rights

Lesbian Assertiveness

Answer 6

Kate Millet - CORE activism, NOW committee in 1966
Then more militant: Radicalesbians + New York Radical Women
Sexual Politics (1970) - criticised patriarchal nature of society
From 1971, NOW began to recognise lesbian rights as a feminist issue