#hrc2018

If possible, take a moment and imagine that love, sexuality, and gender are no longer illegal or discriminated against. Even though that may just be a pleasant dream it could soon be a reality with quite a bit of help. Due to organizations such as the ADF, Alliance Defending Freedom, learning from societies past mistakes and to be more prideful and accepting in everyday life has become harder than expected. These organizations who claim to be informative and helpful are no more than using a multimedia platform to prey on innocent minds looking to be comfortable and accepted. While these groups and organizations may lead some to withdraw their faith in both themselves and others, there are other forces at play meant to help and inspire the L.G.B.T., Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans community. Businesses and organizations like the HRC, Human Rights Campaign and ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives both work throughout the year to inform, aid, and support both members of the L.G.B.T. community and those who wish to inform themselves on the history of L.G.B.T. community.

Out of the 327.5 million U.S. citizens, 12,376,600 identify as a member of the L.G.B.T. community. On the 28th of June 1969, in Greenwich Village, New York City, New York, what soon became known as the Stonewall Riots started to unfold in the early morning at a local gay bar. When patrons on this bar began to turn against the police who so often turned against them for merely living their own lives a bloody and violent riot began which lasted several days and marked what many call the first major gay protest. Now, across the northern continent in southern California, there is a series of  libraries known as ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives dedicated to, “ collect, preserve, and make accessible L.G.B.T. historical materials while promoting new scholarship on and public awareness of queer histories.” Created in November of 1952 by the University of Southern California, they are dedicated to preserving the L.G.B.T. history and supporting new and innovative of expressing pride through artistic mediums. While they do not fully sponsor or fully give back to the community, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives does help to protect and preserve history.

Not all organizations can give back to the community through conventional methods, and even more require volunteers and public help to support others around them. For example, the HRC does anything they are able to support and help the L.G.B.T. community thrive, from help fund pride parades across America to lobby for new laws and bills to be passed to protect the community. To quote the HRC’s front page, “ LGBT Americans have shaped our nation’s history while carving out spaces to express and celebrate their own identities. While these communities and the organizations they created have marched, picketed, and fought bravely for legal and social equality, they have also seen divisions along lines of race, class, gender, and political sentiment.” They clearly state their mission which is to protect the L.G.B.T. community and to make it safe for those associated with it. With over three million members worldwide, this global organization’s vision of peace is put in play with all those who help.

To help protect people who have fallen victim to those that choose to take advantage of laws not one hundred percent foolproof, there are legal nonprofit organizations. One such organization being the ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union. This union was formed in  November of 1919 after the “Palmer Raids” and soon took hold become what is now a mass protector of those who are being preyed among by legalizations taken advantage of. According to the L.G.B.T. Rights page of the ACLU website, “We brought our first LGBT rights case in 1936 and founded the LGBT Project in 1986. Today, the ACLU brings more LGBT cases and advocacy initiatives than any other national organization does.” The ACLU reaches across every state and U.S. territory to make as big of a difference as it possibly can. Much like the HRC, the ACLU also advocates to create laws and bills to further protect citizens who have been and are being discriminated against. Because of their valiant efforts as well as the efforts of other twenty-six states protect against the discrimination of both sexuality and gender, three states protect sexuality, and twenty-one gives no protection against discrimination against one’s sexuality or gender.

In the past pride for one’s self and one’s way of life was almost never an option but now due to the help of millions, it has become possible for so many citizens around the world. No matter the method of support people have banded together to help and protect others. If it is just preserving the history of the journey to being free or protecting the victims of cruelty through legal means people around the world have been working most if not their entire lives to help those around them. To quote Urvashi Vaid, “The gay rights movement is not a party. It is not a lifestyle. It is not a hairstyle. It is not a fad or a fringe or a sickness. It is not about sin or salvation. The gay rights movement is an integral part of the American promise of freedom.” When given the freedom and safety that was once promised, the L.G.B.T. community will finally feel the long overdue acceptance that divides the community from their fellow citizens of the world.

Bibliography

ACLU. “LGBT Rights.” American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union, 25

May 2018, www.aclu.org/issues/lgbt-rights.

Human Rights Campaign. “About Us.” Human Rights Campaign, 31 May 2018,

www.hrc.org/hrc-story/about-us.

History.com Staff. “The Stonewall Riots Begin.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010,

www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-stonewall-riot

Grabianowski, Ed. “How the Stonewall Riots Worked.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 4 May

2017, history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/stonewall-riots5.htm.

USC Libraries. “About.” History | ONE Archives, USC Archives Libraries, 2018,

one.usc.edu/about.

American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. “Past LGBT Nondiscrimination and

Anti-LGBT Bills Across the Country.” American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil

Liberties Union, 2018.www.aclu.org/other/past-lgbt-nondiscrimination-and-anti-lgbt-bills -across-country.

BecarefulNotToLook, and imullin01. “LGBT Rights in United States | Equaldex.” LGBT Rights