Past is Past

There has always been a stigma behind Gay rights. It was something new, strange, and we all know that most people find themselves extremely uncomfortable with change. As time has gone on, it has become more widely accepted, but 40 years ago, a different world had a grasp on the people of America. Whatever was taught to you from a young age, was the truth, and the only truth. No other information was valid. People were simple minded, didn't have room for others. With the Equal Rights Amendment just passed, in 1981 they passed the Equal Housing Code Amendment, stating that "It shall not be unlawful of deny housing on the basis of sexual orientation." Is it not sickening? Just to think there was a time where people couldn't live where they wanted because they loved someone.

At the time the closest people would get to talking about Gay was saying that someone sounded or acted Gay. It was seen as derogatory, something that used to be used to describe gleeful or jolly. The 1980s was a time of great distress for many people in the Gay community, having to deal with not only their sexuality within the community, but the constant rise in the AIDS epidemic and that foreboding question of "Will I be next?" The 1980s was surrounded with one of the worst waves of the AIDS epidemic known to American society. By being diagnosed with AIDS or HIV, it was almost directly linked to homosexuality, and AIDS forced many people to come out into society, or going into hiding and take themselves out of society completely. People were not able to "associate masculinity with homosexuality" which was desired out of a man in society. But this is the opposite from the truth. Alexander the Great, Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, all gay men who were unbelievably successful and respectfully viewed by society. The only thing people did not know about them around the time, was their sexuality. And if people had, would they think of them any different. At the time, I would think that yes, they would.

The only thing that would make anyone think for a second that anything positive came out of the 1980s was that people continued to riot for their rights. But, this was a bad thing at the same time. People speaking up and voicing their opinions did not seem to get them anywhere, so violence and upset seemed to be the only way to get things done.  People were hurt and struggling, and sad to say, it lasted the duration of the 1980s. It was only after that things started to get better.