american history
The history of America has seen some of the most incredible changes and shifts in perceptions about homosexuality the world has ever seen in one country. For only having existed since the 1600s, America has had a short history, but one that has been filled with some of the most roller-coaster mindsets ever seen. This section will focus on the history and laws of what is now the state of New York.
early american history
From the 1600s to the 1800s, New York law was Dutch in origin. And under Dutch law, sodomy (anal penetration) was a capital offense. Although the area did not keep up Dutch law for long, the West India Company (the legislative power in the land) kept up the law making homosexual sex illegal and punishable by death. Horrific punishments were meted out to those found guilty in a court of law of homosexuality, including hanging, burning at the stake, drowning and flogging. It was not until 1796 that homosexuality was diminished from the death penalty to a maximum of 14 years hard labor. The punishment laws continued to be reduced in severity throughout the 1800s, but still the majority of them contain prison terms or hard labor.
Two of the most famous poets in European and American history, Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde (seen above), were homosexual and had an enormous impact on the rise of a subculture of homosexuality in America. Their stories and poetry influenced generations of people with the themes of loving male friendship.
Two of the most famous poets in European and American history, Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde (seen above), were homosexual and had an enormous impact on the rise of a subculture of homosexuality in America. Their stories and poetry influenced generations of people with the themes of loving male friendship.
The early 1900s
The 1900s began a period of persecution of homosexuals by police forces. At first, the police raided male public bathhouses which were usually hotbed places of homosexual encounters. Punishments included prison terms for a maximum of 20 years.
The 1920s saw an incredible rise in the subculture of homosexuality, especially in public bathhouses where men felt safe enough to be open about their sexuality. The police continually raided several gay bathhouses over the years, leading to many arrests. While many women were casting off their traditional subservient housewife roles, men were still persecuted socially and legally for homosexuality, so they had to keep their identities hidden. The 1920s overall saw a widespread popular culture of indulging in luxuries, including the prominence of bars (known as speakeasies during the Prohibition era), movie theaters, and other places of entertainment. Any place that catered to a mainly homosexual male crowd had to be hidden from public view and kept secret as long as possible, although the police continually got wind of new areas and raided the places.
The 1920s saw an incredible rise in the subculture of homosexuality, especially in public bathhouses where men felt safe enough to be open about their sexuality. The police continually raided several gay bathhouses over the years, leading to many arrests. While many women were casting off their traditional subservient housewife roles, men were still persecuted socially and legally for homosexuality, so they had to keep their identities hidden. The 1920s overall saw a widespread popular culture of indulging in luxuries, including the prominence of bars (known as speakeasies during the Prohibition era), movie theaters, and other places of entertainment. Any place that catered to a mainly homosexual male crowd had to be hidden from public view and kept secret as long as possible, although the police continually got wind of new areas and raided the places.
1930s to the 1950s
The Great Depression brought about an era of renewed hyper-conservatism in America. Millions of Americans were left in desperate poverty and often homeless, and there is little known about any homosexual subculture or communities during this time.
In the aftermath of World War II, homosexuality was still kept as private and hidden as possible. A medical article from the Journal of Criminal Pathology used a lobotomy (removal of part of the brain) on a man convicted of sodomy. The article reported that he mentally degenerated after the lobotomy, but this type of horrific surgery was widely used in Nazi Germany as part of experimentation into understanding the human brain.
One of the most prominent authors in American history, Gore Vidal, created a novel called The City and the Pillar in 1948. The novel features an openly gay protagonist who discovers his own homosexuality and deals with the issue throughout the whole book. One of the most important themes that comes out of the novel is the idea of a homosexual being a truly masculine figure, as opposed to a completely submissive, feminine figure. Gore purposefully created the main character as being a good athlete and a Marine in order to challenge a lot of stereotypes and prejudices about gay men at the time. The novel was so controversial in mainstream society, but sold fabulously well in the ever-growing underground gay subculture. His novel became an inspiration to other authors, most notably Truman Capote.
The 1950s saw an era of renewed conservatism, where the dominant theme of white suburbanism came into play. The idealized family consisted of a father, a mother, children, a dog, and a house with a white picket fence. Homosexuality played no part in this ideal world, and attacks were renewed against homosexuals. Along with increasing police raids and arrests, psychological methods such as aversion therapies were created and used against homosexual people. Aversion therapy consists of forcing the person to watch a film (in this case, gay pornography) while injecting them with medication to make them physically ill. The idea was to try to convert the person's brain into perceiving homosexuality as a thing to be avoided. The therapy was made famous in the novel A Clockwork Orange, published in 1962. New York State became the first state to revolutionize punishment against homosexuals to a simple misdemeanor, although the practice was still socially unacceptable. The main point behind the strength of the homophobic dominant culture was to try to "fix" homosexuals, but the morality and effectiveness of such ideas is widely controversial.
Amidst a growing anti-gay dominant culture, gay people took agency. Through brotherhood and companionship in the form of homosexual organizations, LGBT groups became sources of solidarity, tolerance, and alternative culture. The first homosexual organization in the United States was formed on November 11, 1950 in Los Angeles, CA. The Mattachine Society, as it was called, was the first such group to establish and maintain an organization centered around homosexual identity.
In the aftermath of World War II, homosexuality was still kept as private and hidden as possible. A medical article from the Journal of Criminal Pathology used a lobotomy (removal of part of the brain) on a man convicted of sodomy. The article reported that he mentally degenerated after the lobotomy, but this type of horrific surgery was widely used in Nazi Germany as part of experimentation into understanding the human brain.
One of the most prominent authors in American history, Gore Vidal, created a novel called The City and the Pillar in 1948. The novel features an openly gay protagonist who discovers his own homosexuality and deals with the issue throughout the whole book. One of the most important themes that comes out of the novel is the idea of a homosexual being a truly masculine figure, as opposed to a completely submissive, feminine figure. Gore purposefully created the main character as being a good athlete and a Marine in order to challenge a lot of stereotypes and prejudices about gay men at the time. The novel was so controversial in mainstream society, but sold fabulously well in the ever-growing underground gay subculture. His novel became an inspiration to other authors, most notably Truman Capote.
The 1950s saw an era of renewed conservatism, where the dominant theme of white suburbanism came into play. The idealized family consisted of a father, a mother, children, a dog, and a house with a white picket fence. Homosexuality played no part in this ideal world, and attacks were renewed against homosexuals. Along with increasing police raids and arrests, psychological methods such as aversion therapies were created and used against homosexual people. Aversion therapy consists of forcing the person to watch a film (in this case, gay pornography) while injecting them with medication to make them physically ill. The idea was to try to convert the person's brain into perceiving homosexuality as a thing to be avoided. The therapy was made famous in the novel A Clockwork Orange, published in 1962. New York State became the first state to revolutionize punishment against homosexuals to a simple misdemeanor, although the practice was still socially unacceptable. The main point behind the strength of the homophobic dominant culture was to try to "fix" homosexuals, but the morality and effectiveness of such ideas is widely controversial.
Amidst a growing anti-gay dominant culture, gay people took agency. Through brotherhood and companionship in the form of homosexual organizations, LGBT groups became sources of solidarity, tolerance, and alternative culture. The first homosexual organization in the United States was formed on November 11, 1950 in Los Angeles, CA. The Mattachine Society, as it was called, was the first such group to establish and maintain an organization centered around homosexual identity.
1960s
The 1960s in general saw a wave of counterculture movements to combat the overly-dominating conservatism. Along with the rise of hippies, flower culture, and the expression of free love for all, homosexuality became a much more openly practiced culture. Gay men and women were becoming more and more disenchanted with the continual police raids, criminalization and harassment of people simply for being gay.
In 1966, New York law passed an accommodation to the New York State Liquor Authority to legally allow bars to serve alcohol to gay patrons, which led to a rise in more openly gay bars. Although the dominant culture still disagreed with homosexuality, gay people were subtly fighting for their rights to be openly gay in public venues. They were still relegated to gay bars that were kept generally out of sight from the general public. The Stonewall Inn (pictured left) in Greenwich Village was one such place.
On the night of June 28th, 1969, a typical police raid of the Stonewall Inn (supposedly carried out under information that the bar did not have the proper liquor licensing) was suddenly met with resistance by the gay and transvestite patrons. A riot sparked, and part of the front of the building was burned down. Several people were arrested. You will read more about this riot in the next few pages. This night was seen as a modern turning point in the history of homosexuality in this country.
In 1966, New York law passed an accommodation to the New York State Liquor Authority to legally allow bars to serve alcohol to gay patrons, which led to a rise in more openly gay bars. Although the dominant culture still disagreed with homosexuality, gay people were subtly fighting for their rights to be openly gay in public venues. They were still relegated to gay bars that were kept generally out of sight from the general public. The Stonewall Inn (pictured left) in Greenwich Village was one such place.
On the night of June 28th, 1969, a typical police raid of the Stonewall Inn (supposedly carried out under information that the bar did not have the proper liquor licensing) was suddenly met with resistance by the gay and transvestite patrons. A riot sparked, and part of the front of the building was burned down. Several people were arrested. You will read more about this riot in the next few pages. This night was seen as a modern turning point in the history of homosexuality in this country.
1970s
The Stonewall riot was commemorated a year later, on June 28th, 1970, with a march of 5,000 people up New York City's Sixth Avenue. This marked the first open gay pride parade ever. The event drew nationwide publicity and the 1970s showed an even greater acceptance of gay and lesbian lifestyles. Modern movements and organizations were created during the 70s, such as the Gay Liberation Front, and the very first openly gay publication of Gaysweek (a newspaper) came out in 1977. Stonewall marked the beginning of very real social barriers finally being openly fought against and broken down by active citizens who were tired of being discriminated against and arrested if they were not in hiding.
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