The LGBT Movement
The history of the movement from Stonewall
through Gay Marriage, Gender Identity and
Transgender Issues
To start; a few questions…
The gay rights movement burst on to the political scene in 1969.
Why then?
What were the social conditions that fostered the appearance
of this new social movement?
What gains have this movement made in changing laws and
attitudes?
How has the movement evolved?
What are some of the important debates within it?
LGBT Movement: A Brief History
A Definition:
“…the formation of durable organizations and community
groups that promote a liberal agenda of equal rights and
inclusion, premised on a conception of gay men and lesbians
as a clearly demarcated social group with a fixed, ethnic-like
identity.”
An LGBT Timeline
The 1950’s
 In the 1950’s the Homophile Movement emerged first in New
York City, with the Mattachine Society promoting
assimilation politics.
 This is the first appearance of the gay political movement.
Although largely unsuccessful, this movement laid the
groundwork for the rise of the militant faction of the LGBT
Movement.
Timeline (continued…)
The 1960’s
 The 1960’s foster liberal ideas about sexuality. In 1969, three
days of rioting ensue when police bust a mobster-run gay
club, Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village. This is considered
the symbolic beginning of the gay movement…
…more timeline…
The 1970’s
• In the 1970’s, the Gay Liberation Front splinters, and is
composed of largely white, middle class enclaves.
• Creation of National Organizations: National Gay Task Force,
Gay Rights National Lobby, Human Rights Campaign. The
movement attempts going into popular politics; Carter and
the Democratic Party fail to push forward gay rights plank.
…even more timeline…
The 1980’s
• Ronald Reagan voted into office for two terms, followed by
George H.W. Bush for one term.
• The rise of the first challenge to the gay rights movement:
the New Right (Moral Majority)
• The emergence of the AIDS epidemic. Reagan, the media, and
the New Right label it as the “gay disease”. This galvanizes
previously uninvolved gay men into the activist role.
…and last, but not least…
The 1990’s
• The 1990’s social movements include those of racial politics
(minorities previously not in movement), sexual expression,
and the split between left/right political entities within gay
communities.
• The repealing of gay rights, including the fighting against gay
marriage is the most recent obstacle.
Gay Marriage
Merriam-Webster Definition of Marriage:
1 a (1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as
husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized
by law (2) : the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a
relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex marriage> b : the
mutual relation of married persons : WEDLOCK c : the institution whereby
individuals are joined in a marriage
2 : an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected;
especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities
Merriam-Webster Definition of Civil Union:
the legal status that ensures to same-sex couples specified rights and
responsibilities of married couples
Merriam-Webster Definition of Domestic Partner:
2 : either one of an unmarried heterosexual or homosexual cohabiting
couple especially when considered as to eligibility for spousal benefits
Current Gay Marriage legislation by State
There are currently 19 states that have a state constitutional amendment
restricting marriage to one man and one woman
There are currently 26 states that have a law restricting marriage to one
man and one woman
Of the above mentioned 45 states 13 of them have a law or amendment
that contains language that does currently or could affect other legal
relationships between same-sex couples such and civil unions or
domestic partnerships
There are currently 4 states that have no explicit provision prohibiting
marriages between same-sex couples
There is currently 1 state that issues marriage licenses to same-sex
couples
Marriage VS Civil Union VS Domestic Partnership
There are many right that are extended to married persons on both a
federal and state level. A few of which are: Next-of-kin status, Joint tax
filing, Death and bereavement leave, Family visitation rights, such as to
visit a spouse in a hospital or prison.
These rights are both afforded to married persons and recognized by both
state and federal governmental institutions. This means that the majority
of rights extended to married couples in one state are recognized by all
other states as well as the federal government.
Civil unions and Domestic partnerships can extend many of the same
rights that marriages do but only on the state level and it is at the states
discretion what rights are granted under these alternative partnerships.
There is no federal mandate that requires Civil unions or Domestic
partnerships granted in one state be recognized by any other state. It is
up to individual state government whether or not these alternative
partnerships will be recognized.
The Debate Within
While all GLBT groups feel that there should be some form of legal
process by which partners are granted the rights of marriage not all
groups are advocating for “Gay Marriage.”
Groups such as Beyond Marriage advocate a split from the dominate
binary forms of partnership. They put forth the idea that traditional
marriage may not be the answer.
While they make a stand primarily for alternative partnerships among gay
and lesbian couples, they also point out that Civil unions and Domestic
partnerships may work better in many cases involving heterosexual
couples and prove to be more effective.
The primary goal of groups who push toward alternative partnerships is
to break two common misconceptions:
1) That traditional marriage is the only way for people to show their
commitment to one another.
2) That only those persons who enter in to traditional marriage are worthy
of the rights and privileges granted to them.
Transgender Issues
Laura McReynolds
Chelsea Donaldson
Lauren Mueller
Grace Jones
What We Are Covering
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Definitions
History
Discrimination
Influences and Support
Conclusion
Questions
Definition: Just A Few Terms
• Gender Identity vs. Gender Expression vs.
Sexual Orientation
• Cross-dresser vs. Drag
• Hermaphrodite/Intersex
What It Means To Be
Transgendered
• Transgender vs. Transsexual
• Defies gender binary
• Gender neutral pronouns (Sie, Hir)
History: How does T fit into
LGBT?
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Transgender: an ancient and modern idea
1953- first surgery (Christine Jorgensen)
1966- Compton’s Cafeteria
1975- Minneapolis anti-discrimination law
1993- Intersex Society of North America
(ISNA)
Discrimination Within the
Movement
• Movement started out conservative
• Excluded butch lesbian, feminine gay
men, transgender people, and bisexuals
• Eventually turned from GL, to LGB, to
LGBT
Discrimination
• Hospitals, restaurants, bathroom
• 1991 - Brandon Teena (Boys Don’t Cry)
• Laws
– ENDA
– Department of Fair Employment and Housing
– The Real ID Act
• Goal: Social Equality
Influential Organizations
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C.O.G. (Conversion Our Goal) in 1967
STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) in 1970
FTM 1980
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) 1985
Queer Nation 1990
ISNA 1993
GenderPAC 199
National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) 2003
Basic Rights Oregon
SONG
45
40
35
30
Number of
Corporations with
Gender
Identity/Expression
Protections
25
20
15
10
5
0
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
Includes: Lucent, Apple, Chevron, Estee Lauder, Gap, General Mills,
Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Walgreens, Toys R Us, Nordstrom,
Staples, WAMU, Hewlett Packard, Nike, American Airlines, and more.
Questions
• Has your idea about transgender
changed?
• Do you agree with transgender inclusion
within the movement?
GENDER
As a Human Rights Issue
Gender Identity
• Gender identity is a person’s sense of self
regarding characteristics labeled as
masculine, feminine, both or neither.
• An individual determines their own gender
identity.
• A person’s gender identity is a statement or
expression of their self identification.
Gender Expression
• Refers to things like clothing and behavior
that manifests a person's fundamental
sense of themselves as masculine or
feminine, and male or female. This can
include dress, posture, hair style, jewelry,
vocal inflection, and so on.
Gender Stereotyping
• The act of trying to compel an
individual's conformity to gender
stereotypes, as well as negative
expectations based on those
stereotypes.
Discrimination
An individual’s gender identity or
expression may make other people
uncomfortable but refusing to treat
transgender, intersexed or gendervariant people in the same manner as
other people is a violation of human
rights.
Discrimination
• Children of all ages are bullied to
conform to gender norms.
• This conformity to norms can create
long term problems such as academic
underachievement.
Discrimination
Examples of Gender Identity Discrimination
• Employment
• Housing
• Public Accommodations
Discrimination
31% of Americans Now Covered by Anti-Discrimination Laws
• The following municipalities have recently passed antidiscrimination measures which include gender identity
and expression.
– The City Councils of Cincinnati, OH
– Lansdowne, PA
– Swarthmore, PA
– King County, WA
– Washington, D.C.
• The passage of these new laws mean that for the first
time 31% of Americans now live in areas that ban
discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
Discrimination
• Transgender people face many issues that
negatively impact their quality of life due to
prevalent transphobia in the US.
• Joblessness, homelessness, and acts of
violence are a few.
• Through education we can fight for the right
of all people to live their lives openly without
the fear of abuse or discrimination.
Gender Facts
• Gender is excluded from federal hate
crimes legislation.
• In a GenderPAC survey, 1/3 of gay,
lesbian, and bisexual respondents who
suffered workplace discrimination
reported that it was due at least in part
to their gender.
Gay-Straight Alliances
• Are student organizations, found
primarily in American high schools and
universities.
• Are intended to provide a safe and
supportive environment for lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
youth and their straight allies (LGBTA).
Gender Rights
• sexual orientation and gender
identity/expression protections
Goals and Strategies of the LGBT
Human Rights Movement
• Political Change
– Political goals include changing laws
and policies in order to gain new
rights, benefits, and protections from
harm, and educating elected officials.
• Cultural Change
– End discrimination based on gender
stereotypes by changing public attitudes.
Goals and Strategies of the LGBT
Movement
"For the lesbian and gay movement, then, cultural
goals include challenging dominant constructions of
masculinity and femininity, homophobia, and the
primacy of the gendered heterosexual nuclear
family.”
- Mary Bernstein
Who is LGBT and who isn’t?
As with other social movements there is
conflict within the LGBT movement,
especially about strategies for change
and debates over exactly who
comprises the people that these
movements represent.