Gender-Related Issues and History of Gay Rights - Essay Example

The main difference most probably is the treatment of the society towards the issue specifically since through the course of the movement’s history it had evolved in stages of prohibition, being trivial, being hated and being accepted, and even legal (Andryszewski, 2000). Before openly promoting and fighting for gay rights, gay people are also actively promoting and fighting for other related civil issues. It can then be considered that their situations inspired them (Clendinen & Nagourney, 2013).

Based on another author, there are already initiatives toward gay civil rights fifty years before it had been given attention in the United States. The Scientific Humanitarian Committee which is considered the forerunner of the rights of gay people was established in Germany with the vision of actively promoting gay civil rights, abolition of laws against gay people, and information dissemination and education regarding gay people. It was then suppressed and halted during the period of the Nazis. In 1950, the Mattachine Society started the move in the United States although in 1924 the Society for Human Rights was established by Henry Gerber, and in 1940 the Veterans Benevolent Association was established in New York City (Marcus, 2009).

One of the most evident rises of the gay rights movement occurred in the middle of the 1960s through the Stonewall event following the trend of the black civil right movement.

The said group focused on ceasing homosexual discrimination. It can be considered that during that year, there had been an epiphany and the gay population cannot wait to stand their ground and achieve their rights. In the 70s, different institutions and mainstream organizations supported the fight by being against all forms of discrimination targeting gay men and lesbians. Through the year 1969-70, gay liberation or “gay pride” became highly popular and talked about the social concept with active appearances in all forms of media and activities (Andryszewski, 2000). Another important milestone is the expression and use of the term homosexual even in different forms of media which can be considered as a commitment to the promotion of gay rights. One example is the book by Donald Webster Cory entitled Homosexual in America (Clendinen & Nagourney, 2013).

Since the 60s, there is a continuous rise in the acceptance of the gay population. One example is the signing of the gay rights ordinance in April 1978 by San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk. But it was not a smooth endeavor since they were assassinated the same year (Andryszewski, 2000). From this period to the present time, it can be considered that major changes can be observed. Gay people can be observed to excel and be accepted in different professions and marriage between homosexuals is allowed in a lot of states and even countries. Although antagonism can be considered inevitable, as that of any civic and gender issues, progress in gay civil rights had been monumental. Read More