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From before 1860 to present, LGBT activists have been fighting for social and marriage equality. There have always been people who have opposed the idea of homosexuals being discriminated against; however these advocates didn’t really become vocal until around 1944. From 1860-1944 there were many anonymous writers voiced their opinions about gay rights. An idea of “free love” circulated through secret societies and clubs, however very few people outwardly voiced their opinions. In 1945, the Homophile Movement was put in place, “which lobbied to establish a prominent influence in political systems of social acceptability”. This was named the homophile movement as opposed to the homosexual movement because these activists wanted to emphasize the word “love” over the word “sex”. In the early 1970’s the Gay Liberation movement was inspired by some other social movements of the sixties, such as the Black Power and Anti-Vietnam movements. The most famous event was the Stonewall Riots, when a group of transsexuals, gays, lesbians, and drag queens resisted police forces at a bar in New York City. After Stonewall, groups such as the Gay Liberation Fund (GLF) and Gay Activists’ Alliance (GAA) were formed. Their use of the word “gay” represented a new age of unapologetic defiance, inspired by the protests earlier mentioned (Black Power & Anti-Vietnam). One of the greatest values of this Gay Liberation period was gay pride. A week deemed “Gay Pride Week” was celebrated each year in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and New York City. Stonewall riots were (and still are) commemorated by Gay Pride Parades, which protested the classification of homosexuality as a mental illness. From 1975 to present, is an era known as the Gay Rights Movement; a more reformist and single-issued movement which portrayed homosexuals as a minority group and uses civil rights techniques. With the emergence of AIDS, more directly focused groups emerged to try to focus their energy on small pieces of the “social equality puzzle”. In 1992 the term, LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Questioning, Intersex) was coined, and has been used ever since. Currently, the battle for Gay Rights still continues. Some progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go.

The development of acceptance towards LGBT has increased greatly showing great strengths in our country. However, there are always modern setbacks even in current day such as passing the North Carolina same-sex marriage amendment on the May 8, 2012 which defines gay marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman. Acts such as these cause us to question the progress we believe we are actually making towards equality. It is important for Americans to create an environment in which lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have access to the same constitutional rights of equality, privacy and freedom as any other American would. People are gradually becoming more and more involved in the movement bringing more successful outcomes than ever before in the act towards equality. The National Day of Silence takes place this year on April 19, 2013, as a day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect on anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. The day was founded in 1996 becoming the largest student-led action towards creating a safer environment for everyone regardless of sexual orientation. The act that the student generation is taking towards a safer and higher acceptance rate of LGBT is a huge advancement in our youth progress.

Although LGBT rights vary across different states, the issues that this group has fought against remain common throughout the history of the United States. While many of these fought for rights involve same sex partnerships and marriages, there are others that have little to do with relationships at all. The LGBT group has fought for their right in everything from child adoption to serving in the military. Although the “Don’t ask don’t tell policy has recently been repealed, allowing for gay or lesbian soldiers to serve in the military, transgender and transsexual applicants are still prohibited from serving in the armed forces. In addition to this, one of the largest issues this group faces in modern day is legal marriage. While more states have allowed for same sex marriage over the past few years, there are still many that outlawed the act from taking place. Even though LGBT faces much adversity in its strive for equal rights, the group has gathered numerous supporters and achieved many accomplishments with its employed tactics and strategies. Unlike other protest movements, LGBT receives much of its power from government organizations that support the groups cause. Parties such as the National Democratic Party and the Log Cabin Republican party help to raise support and awareness to the issues faced by LGBT. Many of the group’s tactics are non-violent, such as marches and rallies to raise awareness and gather followers for the movement. Just recently in July 2012, Nicholas Gonzales and for other followers set out on a 3000 mile walk across the country to raise awareness of the issues at hand. Since many view the movement as passive and not dangerous, it is able to attract more people than if it used more hostile tactics and actions.

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