In the past few months, it has become apparent that the fight for advancing the rights of minority groups has just begun. Along with activist groups like BLM and women’s rights, the LGBTQ movement lies at the heart of this battle. Learning the history behind an issue is crucial to being able to find a solution. Many don’t know where to look, or what to learn about in terms of LGBTQ history. 

Before diving into specifics, we must look at the term, LGBTQ. This term is thrown around largely, but some fail to understand the representation of the initialism. LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-gender, Queer/Questionable. A lesbian represents a homosexual woman, while a gay person is a homosexual man. According to Dictionary.com, the meaning of the word bisexual is someone who is sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one particular gender. The word transgender denotes a person whose “sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex”. Studies have shown that gender-nonconforming children that go on to become transgender are already sure of their true identity. Queer is a term for sexual and gender minorities who aren’t heterosexual. This word can also refer to individuals that identify as intersexual, asexual, non-binary, etc. 

A 2017 study shows that roughly 1.3 million(8%) high school students in the US identify as LGBTQ+. Additionally, when it comes to advancements in LGBTQ rights, Gen Z is by far the most progressive generation. 92% of LGBTQ+ individuals say that society has become more accepting of them in the past decade. 

Religious Impact

Throughout history, stigma and disagreements on the validity of rights those in the LGBTQ community receive have been a subject of controversy due to religious beliefs. Denominations of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are known to have strong stances against same-sex marriage. Contrastingly, some religions are known to welcome or do not hold specific opinions on the topic. For example, Buddhism and Hinduism usually leave marriage and sexual orientation to the choice of the worshipper. But this varies around the world. In Hinduism, specific temples may show artifice to LGBTQ peoples while others may not. The text and writing of Hinduism are known to be used as guides for followers, they may be interpreted however one feels. Therefore, Hinduism’s followers can view religion in a way that may support same-sex marriage.

Despite the more lenient virtues of Hinduism and Buddhism, other religions may hold beliefs that prohibit same-sex marriage and may not see homosexuality and gender reassignment as just or sacred in the eyes of God. 

Many members of the LGBTQ community have expressed losing connections with their families due to arguments over religion and their sexuality.

But some denominations of more ambivalent religions have shown that religion can also be a source of refuge to those who feel unwelcome. For example, the Conservative Jewish Movement, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Unitarian Universalist Association, the Presbyterian Church (USA), etc. are just a few examples of churches and movements that condone and accept same-sex marriage.

Religion is very important to the majority of Americans. About 78% of straight Americans identify as religious. This is significantly more than 59% of those in the LGBTQ community who say religion is important to them. But religion is not considered a refuge to some; almost 29% of LGBTQ people say they would feel unwelcome in places of worship, despite the type of religion. 

Younger generations are known to be less religious. A survey found that 38% of those considered Gen Z and Millenials are unaffiliated with any religion. These generations are also considered the most accepting of those in the LGBTQ community. Contrastingly, older generations have been known to be more religious and more unaccepting. Whether or not this clear correlation between acceptance and religious affiliation is a mere coincidence, it shows change over time can occur. 

Political Advancements

Besides religious affiliation and age, recently, politics has also become a large factor in the attempts for creating a more accepting society. There has been political opposition over whether or not LGBTQ people should have the same rights. This topic’s relevance has drastically increased as President Trump’s agenda has shown its intentions. For example, in late June, the Trump administration revised a section of Obama’s Affordable Care Act. The changes eliminated protections against discrimination in healthcare for transgender people. These rulings come after the Trump administration’s 2017 restrictions that prohibited transgender men and women from serving in the military. These decisions have led America in the wrong direction from achieving a society that accepts all people, regardless of our differences. 

Stigma and Students

In the LGBTQ community, the prejudice and stigma surrounding ‘coming out’ and being open about sexuality has stopped many from being happy. What happened to the ‘pursuit of happiness’? In Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, “no promo homo” laws have been placed. These state laws hold the sole purpose of denying the promotion of homosexuality in schools. The lack of representation of LGBTQ people in education may leave students with no one to identify with. Teaching students at a young age about important events in history and laws that have been passed should be mandated. What makes LGBTQ laws and events any different from other reforms in US history?

Some states have already signed laws that require the teaching of LGBTQ events in history classes for middle and high schoolers in America. The states California, New Jersey, Colorado, and recently Illinois require the teaching of contributions from the LGBTQ community. They look to place a positive light on a topic some deemed negative. These laws are almost the exact opposite of the previously mentioned “no promo homo” laws that encourage the discussion of LGBTQ topics to be done negatively, or not at all.

Illinois’ plan to immerse LGBTQ history in lessons has been set to begin July 2020. Representative Anna Moeller, who sponsored the bill says its purpose is to administer the “comprehensive and accurate teaching of history and creates a more welcoming, tolerant, and safe environment for all of our students in Illinois”. By making education plans more inclusive, the amount of harassment LGBTQ students receive decreases significantly. GLSEN, an organization that looks to end sexual orientation-based discrimination in schools, completed a study on LGBTQ students. They found that in comparison to “no promo homo” states, states without these laws are more accepting of their LGBTQ peers. The use of homophobic remarks and harassment has been documented to be noticeably lower.

A Brief History

The history of the LGBTQ movement has taken place for many decades all over the globe. It’s clear that people are looking for a change in society and the fight is far from over. 

 In 1924, German immigrant Henry Gerber founded the Society for Human Rights in Chicago. This was the first documented gay rights organization in the United States. After publishing just a few issues, they were quickly closed down due to police raids. Despite being shut down, Gerber’s house remains an LGBTQ landmark today. 

Later in 1953, the long-fought war between the government and homosexuals began. People of the LGBT community were banned from federal jobs through an Executive Order signed by President Eisenhower. This remained in place for 20 years. 

Through the 1960s, bars became increasingly cold towards members of the LGBTQ community. The Stonewall Inn was opened as a result, welcoming all types of people. Months after opening, the bar was subject to police raids. Patrons and residents of the bar began throwing objects at the police, leading to the famous Stonewall Riots in the following days. Many prominent figures rose from these riots, such as Marsha P. Johnson.

The 1980s AIDS outbreak proved to be a major setback in the advancement of LGBTQ rights. People began to campaign against the LGBTQ community, like Anti-Gay activist, singer Anita Bryant. Former President Reagan called the virus, ‘The Gay Plague’, only beginning to refer to it as AIDS a year after the official announcement by the CDC. Due to the absence of a vaccine in the following years, AIDS activists formed support groups to care for patients. In 1995, AIDS became the leading cause of death in men ages 25 to 44. 

This disease continues to disproportionately impact the LGBTQ community due to discrimination and homophobia. Sometimes doctors refuse to treat or discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, proving to be a major cause of increasing cases. In a 2018 study, it was found that among the 37,968 new HIV (which is a virus that leads to AIDS) diagnoses, 69% were LGBTQ men. Though AIDS remains a problem, we are closer to establishing an AIDS-free generation now more than ever. 

Overcoming setbacks caused by AIDS was difficult but achieved in the 2000s. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004. Later, in 2015, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage across all 50 states.

Impact on Today’s World

Even with these steps taken to decrease the discrimination that was placed on the LGBTQ community during and after the AIDS epidemic, “no promo homo” laws are a step backward. In Oklahoma, during sexual education classes, homosexual relationships are only discussed when talking about sexually transmitted diseases.  It is emphasized that the only way to not become infected by viruses like AIDS, is to practice abstinence from homosexual activities. Which may negatively impact the students who identify as gay. 

But it is important to remember, despite setbacks such as “no promo homo” laws, strides are being made. Recently in March of 2020, South Carolina overturned its “no promo homo” laws that banned LGBTQ sexual education. Regardless of the Trump administration’s attempts to deny freedoms to LGBTQ individuals, the Supreme Court protected the rights of LGBTQ people in the workplace through the wording of the Civil Rights Act of 1965. In mid-June of 2020, the Supreme Court made it illegal to fire an employee simply because they were gay.

Implementation in Schools

It is important to respect everyone’s religious and political beliefs. But at the same time, it would be hypocritical to not respect a person because of their sexual orientation. Built on pillars that allow Americans to practice whatever religion they please or hold whatever political views they feel are most important, why can’t a person be part of the LGBTQ community without experiencing harassment and discrimination? If LGBTQ contributions are implemented into schools, some parents may be uncomfortable with their children learning about these topics. Whether it is due to religious reasons or not, they should still have the option to educate themselves. Under the same idea of hypocrisy, these topics should not be overly pushed on students if they aren’t comfortable. Not respecting someone’s beliefs will only end up deterring goals of acceptance. But giving everyone the knowledge on how to respect one another and understand the hardships others go through is important. Educating the younger generation creates a connectedness that is not apparent today’s society. 

Creating a More Inclusive Society

In a study published by the Human Rights Campaign, sexual orientation ranked third highest motivator for committing hate crimes. 54% of LGBT individuals are concerned about being the victim of a hate crime. This is appalling in comparison to the general population, where less than 1 in 10 people is concerned about hate violence. We must take action against these threats to create a more inclusive world.

Reforms are being made today that affect our society and politics. Recently there have been policy changes made in America that spurred from the protests and petitions of the BLM movement. These various developments call for a better, more accepting society. We must not only get rid of racism and other injustices, but also end homophobia.