User:Juszhou/LGBT rights in the United States

STONEWALL MOVEMENT

In the 1960s, the LGBTQ community was seen as an abornomality to most of American Society. Members of the community attended gay bars and clubs to freely express themselves but also stray away from public judgement. New York Liquor authority closed bars and clubs that served alcohol that suspected LGBTQ members. However it all changed In June 28, 1969. The police raided a gay club called Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village New York. This striked a movement and riot in the LGBTQ community. There was a protest for approximately 6 days in the neighborhoods and bars. In effect, this lead to some of the worldwide movements for the LGBTQ community. 

LESBIAN MOVEMENT

In the early 1970s, prior to the term LGBTQ including all the groups pertaining to the community, Lesbian activists have created their own group of protestors due to an exclusion from the Gay community because of the lack in understanding of sexism during the time. These groups distinguish themselves as an own category aside from the feminist movement. In result, they released institutions, self defense schools, and communities around. In the late 1970s, the movement dwindled due to the economic recession. In effect, the lesbian movement and many other individual movements wanted to integrate with the major gay movement occuring. 

AIDS/HIV EPIDEMIC

In the 1980s, the rise of a new disease occured amongst gay men in the United States. In public media called it a new type of Cancer. 2 years have passed and more cases have risen of this disease. It was reported that AIDS were being transferred through infected blood and sexual contact. The Centers for Disease Control noted that there were a few reasons that there was a spread of the disease which included homosexuality and drug use. 

By 1985, there were reports of 12,529 deaths in the United States. “Moving to 1986, a report from the Institute of Medicine called for 2$ billion is needed for the treatment of AIDS research.” All of this impacted many of the advocacy and movement organizations involved in fighting AIDS. Gay and Lesbian organiziations and communities started to link in teamwork to help advocate and raise money towards the episdemic. There was also discrimination towards the help with the fight against the epidemic. Medical license and practices were being taken away from professionals because of their contribution towards the help against this issue. The first lawsuit began with Dr. Sonnabend in which his practice was being taken away because of his speciality towards AIDS.

ALLIANCE

There are many organizations that find themselves to be in align and want to help with the LGBTQ community. Organizations such as the Gay Straight Alliance have been around since the 1980s. They provide resources to schools and universities that bring awareness and provide resources toward helping individuals. The Gay Straight Alliance term references to all the LGBTQ members of the community. Research is shown, that LGBTQ adolescents have reported to be safer and more included when being apart of GSA. 

Citation

History.com Editors. “Stonewall Riots.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 31 May 2017,

https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots.

History of Gay Rights Movement in U.S.,

http://www.uky.edu/~lbarr2/gws250spring11_files/Page1186.htm.

“Thirty Years of HIV/AIDS: Snapshots of an Epidemic.” AmfAR,

https://www.amfar.org/thirty-years-of-hiv/aids-snapshots-of-an-epidemic/.

Toomey, Russell B, et al. “High School Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and Young Adult Well-Being: An Examination of GSA Presence, Participation, and Perceived Effectiveness.” Applied Developmental Science, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Nov. 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217265/.