Women and LGBT Diversity in the United States
Women and LGBT Diversity in the United States
Sharon Shewmake
ETH/125
September 21, 2014
Maria Kithcart
Women and LGBT Diversity in the United States
It is fair to say that great strides have been made concerning equality for women throughout the United States. It is also fair to say that the fight is far from over. For nearly 167 years, women have fought tirelessly to gain equal rights. The Feminist Movement began in the summer of 1848. “The first women’s rights convention began, attended by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and other pioneers in the struggle for women’s rights. This first wave of feminists battled ridicule and scorn as they fought for legal and political equality for women” (University of Phoenix, 2012, p. 350). Susan B Anthony is probably the most widely recognizable participant from the suffrage movement. She was arrested while attempting to vote in the presidential election in 1872. It was not until 1919 that women finally gained the legal right to cast their votes. “Despite the opposition, the suffrage movement succeeded in gaining women the right to vote, a truly remarkable achievement because it had to rely on male legislators to do so” (University of Phoenix, 2012, p. 351). Unfortunately it would be many decades before a notable amount of progress was made.
In the 1960’s, the Civil Rights Movement took up much of the attention. The anti-war movement did as well. Women’s rights seemed to get moved to the backburner. In the meantime, women were becoming increasingly dissatisfied and unfilled with life at home. Women wanted a place in the workforce and in the political arena. They wanted an equal presence in society. They wanted equal opportunity. One would be inclined to think that the Civil Rights Movement would gladly accept the plight of women into their cause, but not so much. “The New Left seemed as sexist as the rest of society in practice, despite its talk of equality. Groups protesting the draft and
Sharon Shewmake
ETH/125
September 21, 2014
Maria Kithcart
Women and LGBT Diversity in the United States
It is fair to say that great strides have been made concerning equality for women throughout the United States. It is also fair to say that the fight is far from over. For nearly 167 years, women have fought tirelessly to gain equal rights. The Feminist Movement began in the summer of 1848. “The first women’s rights convention began, attended by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and other pioneers in the struggle for women’s rights. This first wave of feminists battled ridicule and scorn as they fought for legal and political equality for women” (University of Phoenix, 2012, p. 350). Susan B Anthony is probably the most widely recognizable participant from the suffrage movement. She was arrested while attempting to vote in the presidential election in 1872. It was not until 1919 that women finally gained the legal right to cast their votes. “Despite the opposition, the suffrage movement succeeded in gaining women the right to vote, a truly remarkable achievement because it had to rely on male legislators to do so” (University of Phoenix, 2012, p. 351). Unfortunately it would be many decades before a notable amount of progress was made.
In the 1960’s, the Civil Rights Movement took up much of the attention. The anti-war movement did as well. Women’s rights seemed to get moved to the backburner. In the meantime, women were becoming increasingly dissatisfied and unfilled with life at home. Women wanted a place in the workforce and in the political arena. They wanted an equal presence in society. They wanted equal opportunity. One would be inclined to think that the Civil Rights Movement would gladly accept the plight of women into their cause, but not so much. “The New Left seemed as sexist as the rest of society in practice, despite its talk of equality. Groups protesting the draft and