Why The Stonewall Riots Became A Turning Point For The...

Until the last half of the 20th century, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals were victims of discrimination in American society and in statutory laws, which limited their basic rights. On the night of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village, and arrested three drag queens by using excessive force. Bar patrons and spectators, tired of police oppression, stood up and fought back. This was the first major protest based on equal rights for homosexuals. The Stonewall Riots became a turning point for the homosexual community in the United States sparking the beginning of the gay rights movement, and encouraged lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual, or LGBT, to fight for their rights. In the 1950s, the American Psychiatric Association characterized homosexuality as a â€Å"sociopathic personality disorder†(Haggerty, 713), in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and it was mentioned as an example of â€Å"sexual deviations,† which mean a sexual practice considered morally wrong and legally prohibited. After homosexual were determined as â€Å"sociopathic personality disorder† discrimination against them increased. The federal government banned the employment of homosexuals in 1953 by Eisenhower who signed the Executive Order 10450 (Chauncey, George, Nancy), which insisted in the dismissal of all federal employees who were homosexual. Most of the state governments prohibited gay people being served inShow MoreRelatedStonewall Riots Essay1549 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stonewall riots were a series of violent, spontaneous demonstrations by members of the LGBT community against a police raid that took place in the early m orning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn. Riots, violence and discrimination are not things that the LGBT community are unfamiliar with. Their history has been painted with opposition and resiliency. As time has progressed, so has the community and their fight for equality. The community is a medley of very different people from aRead MoreSocial Media And Social Movements1190 Words   |  5 PagesSmall Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted identifies that internet activism is an instant frenzy that creates a brief impact but is not adequate enough to remain on its own. When media is used as an intellectual resource for activism it can expose people s conscious about diverse predicaments or movements occurring around the globe. In today s contemporary society people had the power to create a significant change in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community by having sameRead MoreLgbt History And The Modern Era1737 Words   |  7 Pagesthis. A major example would be the Stonewall riots. The Stonewall Riots were when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. These type of raids were not unusual in the late 1960s, an era when homosexuality was illegal in nearly every state, excluding Illinois. The following night, the street erupted into violent protests and demonstrations that lasted for the six days. These riots marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movementRead MoreThe Stonewall Riots Essay examples1957 Words   |  8 Pagesone’s homosexuality could lead to the loss of their family, their livelihood and, in some cases, their lives. Geanne Harwood, interviewed on an National Public Radio Broadcast commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, said that â€Å"being gay before Stonewall was a very difficult proposition †¦ we felt that in order to survive we had to try to look and act as rugged and as manly as possib ly to get by in a society that was really very much against us.† The age of communist threatsRead MoreThe Views Of The Gay Rights Movement1712 Words   |  7 Pagesunique point of view of the life of a homosexual. Furthermore, the gay rights movement â€Å"is the effort to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against homosexual women and men† (Stoddard). Organizations advocating for the rights of homosexuals thrived in Germany and England from 1860s through the 1920s. However, similar organizations did not start appearing in the United States until 1950. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar, which then became the turning point of theRead MoreLgbt Views On Lgbt Rights2049 Words   |  9 PagesLGBT rights have been a controversial issue for decades now and they’ve always sparked heated discussions between those who believe in fighting for LGBT rights and those who strongly oppose them. 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