Sexual Liberation and Equality

1. Sexual Liberation and Equality Gay Rights Movement from 1975 to 1979 By: Devin Schmiemann

2. Sexual Liberation and EqualityGay Rights Homosexuals have always been known in America as social outcasts, sexual deviants, and even perverts. It has been a daily struggle for homosexuals to try to gain acceptance by society for something they feel they were born with. “Gender issues accompanied a demand for equality on the part of those of untraditional sexual orientation– bisexuals, homosexuals (gays and lesbians), and other transgendered individuals.”(Fiero) • Gender: “culturally prescribed construct of masculine or feminine identity” (Fiero) • Sex: “a biologically determined construct, distinguishes the individual as either male or female” (Fiero) • Equality: “likeness or sameness in quality, power, status, or degree.” (“equality”)

3. 1975 September 8, Time Magazine publishes “Homosexuality: Gays on the March” which raises the issue of public acceptance(“Homosexuality: Gays on the March”) Photo: (TIME Magazine Cover: I am a homosexual)

4. California and Washington remove private consensual homosexual acts as criminal behavior(“SOIN-Gay Events Timeline”) 1975

5. 1975 “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is released which mocks society’s view of homosexuals being less than human; raises attention to transgender issues [“The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)”]. Photo: (Rocky Horror Picture Show- poster)

6. 1975 Study suggests that homosexual men have brains that act more like a female brain, giving homosexuality a possible genetic basis (Dorner, et al). Photo: (Brain Scans Comparing Homosexuals and Heterosexuals)

7. Iowa repeals sodomy law which allowed for the arrest of any persons accused of committing sodomy, even if the act was consensual. “Despite the repeal, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that same-sex sodomy did not enjoy constitutional protection, but that opposite-sex sodomy did” Therefore, homosexual men were still convicted of sodomy and imprisoned.(Painter). 1976

8. 1977 The pink triangle, which was originally used to signify homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps, is inverted and adopted by the gay rights movement as a symbol to fight oppression, work for acceptance, and as a vow to never let a holocaust happen again (“Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Symbols”). Photo: (Holocaust Prisoners…)

9. 1977Hal Fischer explains gay fashion and how certain accessories are used as subtle signifiers to identify each other in order to remain invisible to an intolerant society (Fischer). Photo: (Fischer)

10. Red = life Orange = healing Yellow = sun Green = nature Blue = art Violet = spirit 1978 Gilbert Baker creates the first gay pride flag which was then flown in the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade. Each color signifies a different aspect of gay and lesbian life(“Gay, Lesbian…”). Image from Microsoft Clip Art

11. 1979 First Gay rights march on Washington; over 100,000 people attended(Beemyn). Photo: (Doyle)

12. 1979“We are Family” by Sister Sledge is released and becomes the anthem of gay activists marching on Washington D.C (Rein). (Click on bell to hear song) Photo: (Sister Sledge-Album cover)

13. Conclusion The years 1975 through 1979 were a difficult time for gays and lesbians in American society. Homosexuality was still treated as an illness or a “sexual perversion.” This was a time that the LGBT community decided it was time to stand up for their rights and they made a big impression by marching on Washington. The research that went into this presentation taught me a lot about how people fought for the rights that I enjoy today. They did not make any great advancements for gay rights in this time period, but they got the ball rolling.

14. Works Cited Beemyn, Brett G. "Glbtq Social Sciences Marches on Washington." Glbtq: the World's Largest Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. GLBTQ, Inc., 2004. Web. 15 July 2011. <http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/marches_washington.html>. Brain Scans Comparing Homosexuals and Heterosexuals. Digital image. New Scientist. New Scientist. Web. 16 July 2011. <http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn14145/dn14145-1_513.jpg>. Dorner, Gunter, Wolfgang Rohde, Fritz Stahl, LotharKrell, and Wolf-Gunther Masius. "A Neuroendocrine Predisposition for Homosexuality in Men." Archives of Sexual Behavior 4.1 (1975): 1-8. Print. Doyle, J.D. National March on Washington, 1979. Digital image. Queer Music Heritage. The National March on Washington For Lesbian & Gay Rights, October 14, 1979. Web. 16 July 2011. < http://www.queermusicheritage.us/march79.html>.

15. Works Cited (cont’d) "equality." Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster, Inc. 16 Jul. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/equality>. Fiero, Gloria K. "Chapter 36: Liberation and Equality." The Humanistic Tradition Book 6 Modernism, Postmodernism, and the Global Perpsective. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 2010. 97-125. Print. Fischer, Hal. "Hal Fischer's Gay Semiotics 1977." Queer Cultural Center. Queer Cultural Center, Nov. 1977. Web. 15 July 2011. <http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/HalPages/GaySempg6.html>. "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Symbols." LAMBDA Gay / Lesbian / Bisexual / Transgender Community Services: Violence Gay Sex Sexuality Sexual Orientation Hate Crimes Youth Gay Bashing Teen Coming out Anti-gay Homophobia Matthew Shepard Gay Hate Violence Texas New Mexico Gay Sex Gay Man Chat Gay Woman El Paso Las Cruces Juarez Gay. LAMBDA, 26 Dec. 2004. Web. 17 July 2011. <http://www.lambda.org/symbols.htm>.

16. Works Cited (cont’d) Holocaust Prisoners wearing pink triangle marking them as homosexual. Digital image. The Pink Triangle, Love at All Angles. Web. 17 July 2011. <http://rebeccaforce.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/pink_triangle-2.jpg>. "HOMOSEXUALITY: Gays on the March - TIME." Editorial. Time Magazine 8 Sept. 1975. Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. TIME Magazine U.S. Web. 15 July 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917784-10,00.html>. Painter, George. "The History of Sodomy Laws in the United States - Iowa." Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. Web. 16 July 2011. <http://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/sensibilities/iowa.htm>. Rein, Richard K. "When the Pirates Hustled to Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family,' the Steel City Went Platinum : People.com." People.com : The #1 Celebrity Site for Breaking News, Celebrity Pictures and Star Style. People, 05 Nov. 1979. Web. 15 July 2011. <http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20074980,00.html>.

17. Works Cited (cont’d) Rocky Horror Picture Show- poster. Digital image. Houston Press. Houston Press, 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 16 July 2011. <http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/ST3391~Rocky-Horror-Picture-Show-Posters.jpg>. Sister Sledge-Album cover. Digital image. Yahoo Music. Yahoo. Web. 17 July 2011. <http://new.it.music.yahoo.com/sister-sledge/albums/we-are-family-collectables--159713822>. "SOIN - Gay Events Timeline." University of Southern California. Ed. Vicki Torres. University of Southern California. Web. 16 July 2011. <http://www.usc.edu/schools/annenberg/asc/projects/soin/enhancingCurricula/timeline.html#1975>. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 16 July 2011. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073629/>. TIME Magazine Cover: I Am a Homosexual' - Sep. 8, 1975 - Homosexuality - Social Issues - Military. Digital image. Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Time Magazine, 8 Sept. 1975. Web. 16 July 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19750908,00.html>.