A Divided Revolution: Social and Political Divisions in the Gay Liberation Movement

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Garza, Ela
Area of Honors:
History
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dan Letwin, Thesis Supervisor
Cathleen Denise Cahill, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
gay history
trans history
Gay Liberation Movement
lesbian history
social and political divisions
Abstract:
The Gay Liberation movement in America has often been defined as a novel, liberatory, and revolutionary political movement that successfully gave the queer community the rights it has now. While this version of the story is mostly true, it is not the complete story; the movement did not include everyone. The movement began in 1969 after the Stonewall Riots, and it was an evolution from the Homophile movement that preceded it. It was revolutionary and liberatory for the young gay men who dominated it, but it did not meet the needs or wants of lesbians and trans people who took part in it, and some of the homophile activists who witnessed it. This thesis analyzes the various divisions within the Gay Liberation Movement. First, it will discuss and analyze the political gap between youth and their older counterparts through the evolution of gay politics from the Homophile Movement to the Gay Liberation Movement, as well as the experiences of younger and older activists who witnessed the transition. Second, it will discuss and analyze the alienating experiences of lesbians and trans people in the movement from the 1969 Stonewall Riots to the late 1970s. Specifically, it will focus on the sexism lesbians frequently faced from many men in the movement and the general lack of support for the trans community from lesbians and gay men from the perspectives of the people who experienced it firsthand. The thesis will also briefly explore how the above groups (the youth, lesbians, and the trans community) created movements achieve their political aims and needs.