Stonewall Riots

Stonewall Riots "Liberation for gay people is to define ourselves how and with whom we live, instead of measuring our relationships by straight values… To be free territory, we must govern ourselves, set up our own institutions, defend ourselves, and use our own energies to improve our lives" (Wittman, 75). Carl Wittman's Refugees from Amerika: A Gay Manifesto, drew together many of the themes dealing with gay liberation. This quote demonstrates the goals of the gay and lesbian movement, a movement which many believe started with the Stonewall riots. The Stonewall riots proved to homosexuals that a sufficient amount of time had passed that they were persecuted and maltreated and it was time to speak up for their rights, resulting in the gay and lesbian movement. For many years homosexuals have been persecuted and looked down upon for leading different lifestyles than the so-called "normal," person. Homosexuals live in fear; a fear of opening up and showing the world their true selves. There are many reasons why homosexuals chose and still choose to stay in the "closet." The fact that many people thought lesbians and gay men had psychological problems was one of them. According to the article The Stonewall Riots- 1969, Sigmund Freud's writings on sexuality in the early 1900's and his theories on homosexuality, the public began to think that lesbians and gay men would benefit from medical treatment. Freud's theories primarily stated that homosexuality was something learned in childhood and was basically a choice. A choice that physicians thought they could change through treatments such as castration, hypnosis, surgery, electric shock, drugs and hormones. (Wright) New York banned homosexual themes in movies due to the fact that they were thought of as "perverted." According to the article The Stonewall Riots- 1969, the Motion Picture Code of the 1930's prevented movies from being viewed and many had to be edited to remove any obscene material. Along with film,

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