How Did We Get Here?
I truly believe that if not for the 1980s, our world today would be much more progressive than it already is. Before the 80s, American society was becoming much more accepting of all people, with Women's Rights, desegregation movements, and the beginning of the LGBT movement. The LGBT community began to gain a small presence in small spots throughout the United States as people grew to be comfortable within their own skin. Throughout the 1970s, Greenwich Village in New York City began housing numerous gay bars, places for the gay community to be comfortable and out in the open without the fear of discrimination.
In the 1980s, everything began to take a halt. Not only did it halt, it spiraled backwards. No one spoke about being gay, no one was accepting of expression, everything transformed into the picture perfect American Dream family. The art style shifted from expressionistic and vibrant to square and modern. Women stayed home and cooked and took care of the family while the men went and worked their 9 to 5 jobs. Bill Clinton signed an act prohibiting open homosexuals from joining the armed forces to serve our country. Beforehand, while yes people faced great discrimination on account of their sexuality, they never faced any true legal discrimination. The Uptown Lounge, a gay bar in New York City, was attacked, killing 32 gay customers. People were upset that homosexuals had a place to feel comfortable. Numerous churches created conversion camps, preaching and "treating" people to "save" them from their illness. Preachers and Priests claimed that "this is faith" and that everything they were doing was to save people from their deadly disease.
I believe that if the 1980s had not halted the progressive movement America was pushing through, our world today would be much more accepting. Gay marriage was legalized in all states on June 26, 2015, but it had the potential of being legalized years before. The older generation raised in the 1980s, taught to be repelled by homosexuality, are now adults. They take part in voting, and have a great amount of control in the beliefs of their children. Not only does this make it more difficult for people to create change, the LGBT community had to go through a great deal of extra work to make their way back from the great fallback that occurred.
Yes, America has come a long way. Yes, we are more accepting today than ever before. But if not for the progressive setbacks of the 1980s, the world we see today maybe be even more welcoming and accepting of the LGBT community.
In the 1980s, everything began to take a halt. Not only did it halt, it spiraled backwards. No one spoke about being gay, no one was accepting of expression, everything transformed into the picture perfect American Dream family. The art style shifted from expressionistic and vibrant to square and modern. Women stayed home and cooked and took care of the family while the men went and worked their 9 to 5 jobs. Bill Clinton signed an act prohibiting open homosexuals from joining the armed forces to serve our country. Beforehand, while yes people faced great discrimination on account of their sexuality, they never faced any true legal discrimination. The Uptown Lounge, a gay bar in New York City, was attacked, killing 32 gay customers. People were upset that homosexuals had a place to feel comfortable. Numerous churches created conversion camps, preaching and "treating" people to "save" them from their illness. Preachers and Priests claimed that "this is faith" and that everything they were doing was to save people from their deadly disease.
I believe that if the 1980s had not halted the progressive movement America was pushing through, our world today would be much more accepting. Gay marriage was legalized in all states on June 26, 2015, but it had the potential of being legalized years before. The older generation raised in the 1980s, taught to be repelled by homosexuality, are now adults. They take part in voting, and have a great amount of control in the beliefs of their children. Not only does this make it more difficult for people to create change, the LGBT community had to go through a great deal of extra work to make their way back from the great fallback that occurred.
Yes, America has come a long way. Yes, we are more accepting today than ever before. But if not for the progressive setbacks of the 1980s, the world we see today maybe be even more welcoming and accepting of the LGBT community.
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