Kevin Deam Lori Bedell CAS137H Section 8 10/22/12 Beating Back Bias and Bigotry What does one

think of when they hear America? Normally, such ideals as freedom and equality come to mind, as the United States has gained a reputation for being a world leader when it comes to civil rights. Yet one group has received the short end of the stick for decades: the homosexual community. Since the founding of the modern gay rights movement, early attitudes, common places, and networks of interpretations about gay created a culture of taboo and distaste around homosexuality. However, events in the scientific, legislative, and cultural communities, along with the use of technology to inform the public, have shed these ideas, causing the tide to turn in the favor of equality. These factors have cause a gradual paradigm shift towards accepting gay rights in the United States, with long decades of activism refuting stereotypes and misconceptions about the LGBT community and effecting positive changes in the publics attitude towards the notion that gay rights are basic human rights. The 1969 Stonewall Inn riots of New York City marked the birth of the modern gay rights movements, which faced institutionalized opposition from the get-go. Gay rights were not at the forefront of any social or political cause; California was the only state in which gay rights were openly discussed, due to the large homosexual community in San Francisco and the work of activist Harvey Milk (Baughman, et al. Vol. 8). The culture of ostracizing and associating

homosexual behavior with immorality and disgust continued, despite research from the scientific community that contradicted established commonplaces about gays. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association rules that homosexuality is not a mental disorder, a small victory for the time (Baughman, et al. Vol. 8). Nevertheless, homosexuals like former President of Legal Services Corporation Dan Bradley feared having their secret found out, which would surely lead to ridicule and loss of job opportunities. Bradley opened up during his resignation from Legal Services after 15 years in the federal employment world, giving a glimpse of what homosexuals across America faced every day, The fear that you're going to be discovered is always there, gnawing inside you, every time you enter a gay bar, or slip off to another city for a gay party (Gailey, 24). He also described the pain he felt while lobbying for Senators that supported anti-gay rights bills, all in the name of preserving his job and secrets, 'I was lobbying Congress on all kinds of amendments and was doing it with great conviction and energy. Then the McDonald amendment [proposed prohibiting homosexuals from working in Legal Services] came up and I fell apart. I wanted to strangle that demagogue, but I had a terrible time lobbying Congressmen when they were debating my own civil rights (Gailey, 24). Bradleys struggle is analogous of the attitudes homosexuals faced throughout the 70s, 80s, and even into the 90s, with insurmountable adversities they had to overcome in a society that did not respect them or their lifestyle. The early commonplaces and networks of interpretations about gays were overwhelmingly negative, portraying them as weak, effeminate, mentally deluded individuals living an immoral lifestyle. To make matters worse, early information about the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 70s and 80s only reinforced the notion that the disease was limited to homosexuals because they were bad people. The high percentages of AIDS patients who were homosexuals,

coupled with the original name of the disease, GRID (gay-related immunity disease), further ostracized the gay community by both the public and federal government, who did not care about the AIDS crisis as long as it was contained to the homosexual population. It would take decades and the lives of many famous individuals to sway the public opinion about homosexuals and AIDS. In addition, traditional views on marriage and the model family stood as stalwarts against gay rights and marriage, with many states passing amendments banning same-sex marriage or unions ("Same-sex marriage in USA."). The Federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was passed 1996 (Baughman, et al. Vol. 10), defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, and remains one of the most prominent obstacles in the way of homosexual rights. Despite all the negative attitudes, behaviors, commonplaces and networks of interpretations surrounding homosexuals and equal rights, some progress has been made, and more opportunities have opened up for people of all lifestyles. The gay rights movement has itself evolved into the LGBT rights community, and there have been many occurrences and changes that aided in shining the spotlight on the inequality that still exists in the United States today. Many of the events triggering shifts in the way we think have been scientific or legislative in nature, such as the previously mentioned American Psychiatric Association decision to remove homosexuality from their list of mental diseases (Baughman, et al Vol. 9), and a study from the Kinsey Institute of Sex Research that declared homosexuality a, deep-rooted predisposition, perhaps inborn (Brady, 1). While same-sex couples have difficulty receiving the same health and pension benefits as heterosexual couples, legislation in 1975 increased job protection for homosexuals in the federal government (Gailey, 24), and in 1996 IBM became one of the largest companies to extend health benefits to partners of same-sex couples (Baughman, et al. Vol. 10). Furthermore, the concept of domestic

partnerships was introduced in San Francisco in 1991, as an alternative to traditional marriage while still having the same rights as married couples. More recently, the 2003 Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas ruling resulted in anti-sodomy laws being struck down in the remaining 14 states that had them (Lawrence v. Texas., 2003). While these laws applied to heterosexual couples in some cases, the court ruled that is disproportionally affected same-sex couples. In 2012, legislative pieces Proposition 8 in California, which banned gay marriages in the state, and Section 3 of DOMA, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman, are up for review in the Supreme Court. Whatever decisions are made, these reviews will be another important event marked on the gay rights timeline. Events affecting the way society thinks dont just happen, there are many forces that influence the way outcomes unfold. One of the biggest shifts when addressing the homosexual community involves the HIV/AIDS crisis. Originally associated with homosexuals, the publics opinion was swayed due to the deaths of renowned celebrities like Rock Hudson, Freddie Mercury, and Eazy-E, and the infection of Magic Johnson, who became an activist for AIDS awareness, using his established ethos to inform the public (Baughman, et al. Vol. 9). Although these deaths were tragic, they brought more information to the public and helped to dispel the notion that only homosexuals and bad people can get AIDS. By changing the way Americans thought about AIDS, the opinion of homosexuals was also changed. Many homosexuals with power, like Ian McKellan, Wand Sykes, and George Takei also use their ethos and clout to advocate for equal rights, showing that homosexuals are normal people. In addition the use of technology has been critical in the support of equal rights for homosexuals. The It Gets Better campaign reaches out to the LGBT youth, who are often victims of bullying, and homosexuals have become integrated in television with shows like Will and Grace and Modern Family.

Mediums like YouTube have assisted in spreading support for equal rights, with a video from a city council meeting in Springfield, Missouri going viral after a Pastor delivered a passionate speech in favor of a bill protecting the LGBT community (Springfield City Council). The efforts of many individuals and groups dedicated to equal rights have brought about some changes to the way the United States views homosexuals and their rights, and will continue the fight for equality for as long as it takes. Present attitudes towards homosexuals and equal rights are not the same as they were during the founding of the gay rights movement, but the whole issue of equality has not been fully addressed either. The homosexual community has expanded to including bisexuals and transsexuals as well, and while being open about ones sexuality is not as taboo, bullying based on sexual orientation still persists. With the portrayals of homosexuals in the media as being more humane and less degenerate, social acceptance and toleration of gays has increased, though strong hate still exists among groups like the Westboro Baptist church and other fundamental organizations. These opponents towards equality for homosexuals come into conflict with the scientific and activist communities that have disproved such commonplaces about homosexuality including the inability of homosexuals to form stable families, choosing to become a homosexual, and the link between homosexuals and AIDS. While some states network of interpretations concerning the law and the LGBT community have changed, the nation as a whole is still trying to determine where exactly the Constitution stands on such matters. The fact that a topic of equal rights for homosexuals has gone from being a non-issue during the founding of the United States back in 1776 to being at the forefront of social and civil rights battles in 2012 is inspiring, and shows just how far the United States has developed as a people and a society.

When the views and values of a society undergo a dramatic change, it can strike quickly like a revolution or a thunderbolt, or move along gradually and organically like Aesops Tortoise. The movement for LGBT equality has so far followed the path of the latter option, but there is hope on the horizon for monumental changes to come. Through hard work and ceaseless advocacy, the LGBT community has come more into the mainstream of both American culture and politics, and have been able to shed most of the stigmatisms that burdened them for most of the 20th century. The attitudes, commonplaces, behaviors, and networks of interpretations about them have been shifted to more positive, or at least neutral, tones as many of the fallacies surrounding the opposition to their equality have been brought to light. This has paved the way for a future United States where equality for all is a truth that all citizens believe in.

Sources Brady, Jane E. "KINSEY STUDY FINDS HOMOSEXUALS SHOW EARLY PREDISPOSITION." The New York Times 23 Aug. 1981, Late City Final ed., sec. 1: 1-1. Print. Report about a Kinsey Institute for Sex Research about homosexuality and its possible causes. Study considered controversial because of the methods used to interview patients (path analysis). Claimed that homosexuality was determined from birth, and not by traumatic events, weak relationships with parents, femininity, and other various theories. "Important Events of the 1990s." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 10: 1990-1999. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. Lawrence v. Texas. 539 US Slip op. 1-52. Supreme Court of the US. 2003. Print. Struck down remaining anti-sodomy laws in 14 states. "Lifestyles and Social Trends: Important Events of the 1980s." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 9: 1980-1989. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. "Medicine and Health: Important Events of the 1970s." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 8: 1970-1979. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. The New York Times, March 31, 1982, Wednesday, Late city Final Edition, Section A; Page 24, Column 3; National Desk, 1591 words, by PHIL GAILEY, Special to the New York Times. "Same-sex marriage in USA." www.wikimedia.org. N.p., 1 July 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samesex_marriage_in_USA.svg>. An image created and uploaded by wikimedia user Lokal_Profil, detailing laws about same-sex marriage in the United States of America. Savage, David G. "Benefits rules eased on same-sex partners of federal employees." Los Angeles Times 21 July 2012: n. pag. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/21/nation/la-na-same-sex-benefits-20120721>. Savage reports on Obama Administrations actions that allow same-sex partners of federal employees to gain benefits. Springfield City Council. Preacher Phil Snider gives interesting gay rights speech. YouTube. Google, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8JsRx2lois>. Reverend Dr. Phil Snider gives a speech in support of an ordinance protecting homosexuals to the Springfield City Council in Springfield, MO. Was delivered on 8/13/12 and subsequently uploaded to video-sharing site YouTube, where it became a viral hit.