Tag Archives: New York City

Before the formation of the gay rights organizations, gays and lesbians were viewed as having a mental disorder. In society, gays and lesbians were frowned upon and discriminated through harassment and laws prohibiting homosexual acts. With the formation of the first gay right organization in 1951, the Mattachine Society worked to convince that gays and lesbians were the same as the average Americans, except for their difference in sexual preferences.

In 1969, the “gay liberation” occurred, in which homosexuals resist and revolt against the police raiding a homosexual bar in Greenwich Village, New York City. The riot lasted for five days leading to the start of the movement, in which gays began to fight for their rights. Without the Mattachine Society, homosexuals might not have thought of themselves as normal/equal to everyone else, which in turn lead to their riot for their freedom. If the riot did not occur, we may still discriminate against homosexuals and impose unjust laws against them.

The video below displays the 2009 gay pride parade in New York City. The parade occurs every year and has become an international event. Through the actions of the organization and individuals fighting for what they believe in, it has changed our views on other and made understand/tolerate others differences.