The LGBT Rights Movement In The Late 20th Century

Prior to the late 20th century, being homosexual was seen as an immoral sickness, disease, and was criminally punishable to varying extents in different countries. For more than half of the 20th century, in fact, the LGBT Rights Movement (under various names) was something that LGTBQ+ people could get behind and demand the rights and proper treatment that they deserved. Before these movements, LGTBQ+ people were unable to express who they truly were and they were bound by societal rules and fear to conform socially and emotionally. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is first reported to have moved to San Francisco 1976 which nearly coincided with the beginning LGBT Rights Movement; which was the most successful when considering the movements …show more content…
Perhaps this motivation came from the fact that a new movement for rights and justice had just begun and was only just starting to take off. This ultimately led to protests, riots, and many groups that were not only pro-gay but were also fighting for a cure for HIV/AIDS. The fear of dying caused a strong retaliation, this, in turn, gave more than enough reason for an even more prominent LGBT Rights Movement. Just as people did not ask to contract cancer, people also did not ask to contract HIV, separate groups such as ACT UP and Gay Men’s Health Crisis took great strides to make this fact indisputable. By criticizing the way PHA were not receiving treatment, funding, or progress, it became very discernable to the public eye that, even if they did not agree with the lifestyle that LGBTQ+ people lived, something truly unjust was taking place. These movements soon began to snowball and an ever-increasing number of people began to join and were fighting for the lives, individuality, and rights of the LBGTQ+ community. PHA defied what the majorities thought and showed them a different way of thinking, essentially ending the predominate way of viewing people as the embodiment of their