AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: LGBTQ+ Movement (Day 283/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the LGBTQ+ Movement as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Northwestern University Gay Liberation, Wikimedia Commons

During the 1960s and 1970s, the LGBTQ+ movement made significant strides towards visibility, rights, and acceptance. 

Newspaper Article, The Penn

Discrimination toward the LGBTQ+ community increased during the Lavender Scare. After being fired from his work with the federal government due to his sexual orientation, Frank Kameny launched into a period of gay rights activism.

Trans icons Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera at the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, 1973, National Park Service

In response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, a series of demonstrations, led by trans activists including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, occurred to protest the frequent police raids, harassment, and discrimination targeting the gay community. 

Gay Liberation Front Poster, 1970, NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project

LGBTQ+ organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Daughters of Bilitis mobilized to demand an end to discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

DSM-II Text

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, marking significant progress in challenging societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals.

LGBTQ+ activists fought for recognition and rights as well as against societal stigma and oppression based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Supreme Court Expansion of Individual Rights in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!