Gays: A Struggle For Acceptance
...not be the
angry defenders of intolerance who have made the difference, that reward will
go to those who dared to step outside the safety of their privacy in order to
expose and rout the prevailing prejudice."
- John Shelby Spong
Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, NJ
November 21, 1996
During World War II and especially the twenty years after brought great
political and social changes to the U.S.. Undoubtedly, one of the major changes
was the new awareness of homosexuality. If this new awareness was to the
advantage or if it was really wanted by the gay and lesbian population is a
question that arises; if they really had a choice in the matter is another. I
think gays' relentless struggle for acceptance into mainstream society came from
the American constitution itself. After all, the gay liberation movement started
in America, the land of the free, where all men are created equal and with an
inalienable right to pursue their own happiness. No one should be able to take
these rights away from anyone. Also, in the 1950s, the civil rights movement
became active and words like desegregation and equal rights for all became
synonymous with the American way of life. Stand up and fight against those who
have done you wrong! This is what gave homosexuals such a conviction to start
fighting for their own cause. This paper will follow the progress of gay and
lesbians in the twentieth century before, during and after World War II. What
was their position in the armed forces during the war and what was government
and military policy during and after the war on gays in the army and in
government positions? How did gay and lesbians respond to the new policies after
the war and why were organizations like the Mattachine Society and the Daughters
of Bilitis founded? On December 7, 1941 at 7:55 a.m. local time, Japan attacked
Pearl Harbor. The Unites States declared war...
View Full Essay
