In the 1950’s, two main gay organizations led the way to the gay rights movement. The Mattachine Society, founded in Los Angeles, California, gave male homosexuals support and the sense to be proud of who they are. This society also developed in response to the chaos of the McCarthy era. The targets during this era were mostly Homosexuals, African Americans and Jews. McCarthy believed that “they would be too weak of fearful to strike back”(Adams, p.804). Four years later in San Francisco, California, the lesbian organization The Daughter of Bilitis began. Both organizations were in favor of reducing discrimination towards homosexuals in employment, armed forces, social and cultural life. Due to the

Ever since these battles, Americans have come a long way in supporting gay rights. According to the America Civil Liberties Union (ACLU, 2003) “Hawaii and Alaska approved gay marriage” but there are some guidelines to the procedure. This is still new to the public, so it will probably take awhile for people to accept changes. If two people want to get married whether they are gay, have different color skin, then society should have no say in what other people want to do in life especially when it is not harming anyone.

The riot of the Stonewall Inn was the defining moment for the gay rights movement. On June 11,1969, in Greenwich Village as police invaded the bar, gays and lesbians, tired of the discrimination they endured, resisted with pride. For the first time in American history, “gays and lesbians fought back with bricks, bottles and rocks,”(Wolfe, p.43) anything they could get their hands on. The Riot was a long one-week uprising; the gays were fuming with disgrace. The following day, “Gay Power” graffiti was all over the sidewalks of New York. The Stonewall riot gave attention to both civil rights and liberation of gays.

Since 1969 to the present, the cultural struggle continues over homosexuality. The media does a “good job” with the propaganda, all someone has to do is pick up the newspaper or turn on the television. Many famous people have come out of the closet over the years in order to overcome this struggle. For example, “in 1997 Ellen DeGeneres became the first openly gay leading character on television”(Rizo). In addition, Rosie O’Donnell is openly gay, but she does not care that people know she is gay; she wants people to know that she is a gay mother. She states in an interview with ABC news, “I don’t think America knows what a gay parent looks like: I am a gay parent.”

The struggle to win protection against discrimination is one of the most basic goals for lesbians and gay men. From the riots of Stonewall to trying to gain rights for marriage, adoption and gays in the military, homosexuals have made significant gains throu

Some topics in this essay:
Don't Tell, Bill Clinton, Washington Gay, Rosie O’Donnell, Greenwich Village, Union ACLU, Daughter Bilitis, Barry Winchell, Rights Battles, War II, gay rights, gay rights movement, gays military, rights gay, civil rights, struggle continues, recognized human, rights movement, rights homosexuals, same-sex marriages, greenwich village,