The Homosexual Rights Movement in the United States

In this short account, the homosexual rights movement in the United States, traditionally overlooked by historians, is presented as a minority movement. References are made to the European origins and the early efforts in America. The author sees eight stages in the growth of the movement. In Stage 1, from 1908 through 1945, there were sporadic individual attempts to defend the rights of homosexual men and women. In the years immediately following World War II, Stage 2 witnessed the dawning of a minority consciousness among gay people living in the cities. Stage 3, from 1950 to 1952, represented a search for identity. During the years 1952-1953, Stage 4, righteous indignation flared up within the movement. In Stage 5, from 1953 to 1960, the movement emphasized information and educational approaches. The decade of the sixties, Stage 6, brought civil-rights activism to the homophile movement. In Stage 7, beginning in 1969, gay liberation emerged. Finally, in Stage 8 (1973-1979), the movement and the government responded to each other through institutional channels. The 1970s ended with two major confrontations, giving the decade of 1969 to 1979 a unity and sense of accomplishment.