Gay rights movement 1970s

Considering the profound stigma still attached to homosexuality at the dawn of the s, the movement, although still nascent, saw tremendous gains over the course of the decade. The act of penetrative sex between men, or sodomy, had been illegal in Britain since and sodomy between men was punishable by death until Although prosecutions were difficult due to the need for sufficient evidence, over 50 men were hung between and There were no laws prohibiting sexual acts between women, though attempts were made to add an amendment to this effect in the s.

The s had many firsts for the queer community including the first elections of Kathy Kozachenko and Harvey Milk. Learn more about these historic LGBTQ+ moments. But these unexpected treasures often add a lot to what we know about an historical era, shedding new light on communities that may have been left out of popular narratives. A great example here at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library: we house papers that capture an important part of the history of the American gay rights movement.

The issues emphasized by gay rights groups have varied since the s by time and place; different national organizations have promoted policies specifically tailored to their country’s milieu. Their emergence dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century. During the nineteenth century, the first gay liberation thinkers laid the groundwork for a militant movement that demanded the end of the criminalization, pathologisation and social rejection of non-heterosexual sexuality. In , the Swiss man Heinrich Hössli published in German the first essay demanding recognition of the rights of those who followed what he called masculine love.

Awareness of a burgeoning civil rights movement (Martin Luther King’s key organizer Bayard Rustin was a gay man) led to the first American-based political demands for fair treatment of gays and lesbians in mental health, public policy, and employment. The Lavender Menace was the pejorative name given to lesbians by feminist Betty Friedan. Friedan argued that increasingly politicized lesbians were a threat to the feminist movement and could hurt the national movement for social equity for women. Friedan was a member of the National Organization for Women NOW and their stance was most women felt as if lesbian issues were irrelevant to them and that if they were to partner with lesbians, it would be harder to push policy makers in the right direction.