In ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies, there have been evidence of same sex couples and marriages recognized among the kingdoms. Also , in early Greek years, it was a sign of love and masculinity for two men to be a union. Same sex couples were not looked down upon, but actually seen as high as emperors. In the book Symposium written by Plato, he stated that same sex marriages and relationships were present without condemnation (Plato, 1989). “The main considerations in same-sex relationships in early history were often love, beauty, and excellence of character rather than gender” (Random History, 2011). Many same sex marriages were seen as more pure than heterosexual marriages. Furthermore, same sex marriages were commonly known in the 18th century among Chinese dynasties. In the Ming dynasty it was common for men and women to be bound to other men and women through same sex marriages. The marriages in this dynasty were rather elaborate and similar to ceremonies held in ancient European history. While many marriages in this and other dynasties at the time were not religious, they were still approved by the greater …show more content…
One very prominent hate crime was the Holocaust era. Although the Holocaust was known for its genocide against the Jewish religion, there were about 15,000 homosexuals executed during World War II . After WWII was over, very few people wanted to advocate for gay and lesbian rights. In the decade between the 1950’s and 1960’s, the first established organizations acknowledging gay and lesbians. There was one organization called The Mattachine Society, founded in 1950 by Harry Hay and Chuck Rowland. This organization was created to advocate for gay men, as well as change the way the United States defined gay people. Another organization was The Daughters of Bilitis. The Daughters of Bilitis was started by Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon and a group of lesbians in the early 1960’s, that aspired to meet other lesbians and build a movement for social change. (Gallo, 2005) These two organizations were first of many in the gay rights movement to advocate for gay and lesbians raising awareness and offering information and support for people of the same sexuality. Another turning point in the gay rights movement happened on June 28, 1969, led by Frank Kameny and Barbara Gittings. It started when people in Greenwich Village, New York began to fight back against police raids in their neighborhood bar; Stonewall Inn. This was one of the first steps toward homosexual liberation and was considered an important change