The Gay Rights Movement (American Social Movements)

Rating:
Summary: Selected viewpoints on the Gay Rights Movement
Review: Greenhaven Press's American Social Movements series examines the development of specific trends in American history from the perspective of a particular social movement. "The Gay Rights Movement" follows the progression of this particular movement from its historical roots with Henry Gerber's short-lived Society for Human Rights in 1924 to its most recent efforts and concerns in gaining legal recognition. Jennifer Smith's volume brings together selected and edited viewpoints drawn from the movement's leading advocates, as well as scholarly interpretations and reports that can provide high school students with the basic tools for writing research papers and reports. Smith introduces each selection with a concise summary of the article's main ideas and biographical information about the author. There is also an introductory essay that provides students with a general overview of the topic, covering the uprising at the Stonewall Inn and unity created by the AIDS epidemic.

The contents of "The Gay Rights Movement" will indicate exactly the breadth of topics covered by these articles:

Chapter 1 - Origins of the Gay Rights Movement: "Homosexuality is Not a Disease" by Henry Gerber, argues homosexuality is not a mental disorder that demands a "cure"; "The Homosexual is Part of Nature's Complexity" by James Baldwin argues society must move beyond classifying people as heterosexual and homosexual and move toward accepting all human sexual variations as normal; "We Must Break Out of Our Individual Ghettoes and Mobilize" by Leo Ebreo contends the gay rights movement should pattern itself after the Jewish rights movement to more quickly galvanize the gay community and work toward securing equal rights; and "Sexism With the Growing Movement" by Shirley Willer challenges gay men to appreciate the value of lesbian women within the movement.

Chapter 2 - Coming Out and Coming Together: "How the Stonewall Inn Uprising Politicized the Gay Community" by Jack Nichols traces the new breed of militant activism to the infamous 1969 riot; "The Effeminist Manifesto" by Steven Dansky, John Knoebel, and Kenneth Pitchford" contends gay subcultures do not provide liberation but reinforce the patriarchal system that oppresses women and effeminate men; "Harvey Milk's Political Empowerment of the Gay Community" by Gregory J. Rosmaita profiles the first openly gay elected city official; and "The Political Necessity of a Gay Liberation Movement" by Michael Denneny looks at how the gay rights movement needed to reassess its goals following the political upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.'

Chapter 3 - The Struggle for Survival: "Ethical Propaganda? Using Advertising to Combat Homophobia" by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen argues the mainstream press can be manipulated to become a tool for combating homophobia in the U.S.; "The Gay Community Must Mobilize Against AIDS" by Larry Kramer targets profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies to help AIDS victims; "Keeping the Faith: Gay Activism in the Catholic Church" by Tim Dlugos tells of the New Ways Ministry founded in 1971 as a forum as one of the first outlets for gay clergy; and "In Good Times and in Bad: The Vermont Civil Union Law Provides Equal Rights for Same-Sex Couples" by Paula Ettelbrick looks at the law passed in April 2000.

Chapter 4 - The Gay Counterculture: Confronting Conservatism in the Movement: "The Lesbian Butch-Fem Relationship is Not a Heterosexual Mock-Up" by Joan Nestle attacks labeling as denying individualism; "The Challenges Facing the Bisexual Liberation Front" by Rebecca Shuster looks at oppression faced by bisexuals in both the heterosexual and homosexual communities; and "The Need for a Centralized Movement Remains" by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen argues the contemporary gay rights movement lacks a single national organization that can focus the energy of activists towards a clear set of common goals."

Chapter 5 - Voices from the Movement: "I Have No Brothers: How Women Fared in the Early Movement" by Del Martin" covers discrimination against women in the movement; "We Need Gay Leaders in Office" by Harvey Milk pushes for gays and lesbians to get into office; "A Gay Rights Activist Reflects on the Movement" by Larry Kramer considers a bleak future for the movement given various issues and concerns; "On Being Black and Gay" by John Bernard Jones argues respect the choice to come out or stay in the closet; and "An Activist of the Streets, for the Streets, by the Streets" by Sylvia (Ray) Rivera looks back on the new breed of gay rights activism that emerged form the Stonewall Inn riot.

The chief value of this collection is that it provides a host of primar documents reflecting the history and rhetoric of the gay rights movement. If students are going to make their mind up about a controversial topics of social and political importance, then primary documents such as these are always going to be of value. Additional research tools in the book of the book include an extensive bibliography, a chronology of events from Emma Goldman declaring homosexuality is not abnormal in 1915 to the Pennsylvania Legislature passing a bill to extend the state's hate crime laws to include sexual orientation and gender, and a comprehensive index. Other books in the American Social Movements series look at American Environmentalism, the Animal Rights Movement, the Antinuclear Movement, the Antislavery Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Feminist Movement, the Sexual Revolution, and the White Separatist Movement.

Rating:
Summary: Selected viewpoints on the Gay Rights Movement
Review: Greenhaven Press's American Social Movements series examines the development of specific trends in American history from the perspective of a particular social movement. "The Gay Rights Movement" follows the progression of this particular movement from its historical roots with Henry Gerber's short-lived Society for Human Rights in 1924 to its most recent efforts and concerns in gaining legal recognition. Jennifer Smith's volume brings together selected and edited viewpoints drawn from the movement's leading advocates, as well as scholarly interpretations and reports that can provide high school students with the basic tools for writing research papers and reports. Smith introduces each selection with a concise summary of the article's main ideas and biographical information about the author. There is also an introductory essay that provides students with a general overview of the topic, covering the uprising at the Stonewall Inn and unity created by the AIDS epidemic.

The contents of "The Gay Rights Movement" will indicate exactly the breadth of topics covered by these articles:

Chapter 1 - Origins of the Gay Rights Movement: "Homosexuality is Not a Disease" by Henry Gerber, argues homosexuality is not a mental disorder that demands a "cure"; "The Homosexual is Part of Nature's Complexity" by James Baldwin argues society must move beyond classifying people as heterosexual and homosexual and move toward accepting all human sexual variations as normal; "We Must Break Out of Our Individual Ghettoes and Mobilize" by Leo Ebreo contends the gay rights movement should pattern itself after the Jewish rights movement to more quickly galvanize the gay community and work toward securing equal rights; and "Sexism With the Growing Movement" by Shirley Willer challenges gay men to appreciate the value of lesbian women within the movement.

Chapter 2 - Coming Out and Coming Together: "How the Stonewall Inn Uprising Politicized the Gay Community" by Jack Nichols traces the new breed of militant activism to the infamous 1969 riot; "The Effeminist Manifesto" by Steven Dansky, John Knoebel, and Kenneth Pitchford" contends gay subcultures do not provide liberation but reinforce the patriarchal system that oppresses women and effeminate men; "Harvey Milk's Political Empowerment of the Gay Community" by Gregory J. Rosmaita profiles the first openly gay elected city official; and "The Political Necessity of a Gay Liberation Movement" by Michael Denneny looks at how the gay rights movement needed to reassess its goals following the political upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.'

Chapter 3 - The Struggle for Survival: "Ethical Propaganda? Using Advertising to Combat Homophobia" by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen argues the mainstream press can be manipulated to become a tool for combating homophobia in the U.S.; "The Gay Community Must Mobilize Against AIDS" by Larry Kramer targets profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies to help AIDS victims; "Keeping the Faith: Gay Activism in the Catholic Church" by Tim Dlugos tells of the New Ways Ministry founded in 1971 as a forum as one of the first outlets for gay clergy; and "In Good Times and in Bad: The Vermont Civil Union Law Provides Equal Rights for Same-Sex Couples" by Paula Ettelbrick looks at the law passed in April 2000.

Chapter 4 - The Gay Counterculture: Confronting Conservatism in the Movement: "The Lesbian Butch-Fem Relationship is Not a Heterosexual Mock-Up" by Joan Nestle attacks labeling as denying individualism; "The Challenges Facing the Bisexual Liberation Front" by Rebecca Shuster looks at oppression faced by bisexuals in both the heterosexual and homosexual communities; and "The Need for a Centralized Movement Remains" by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen argues the contemporary gay rights movement lacks a single national organization that can focus the energy of activists towards a clear set of common goals."

Chapter 5 - Voices from the Movement: "I Have No Brothers: How Women Fared in the Early Movement" by Del Martin" covers discrimination against women in the movement; "We Need Gay Leaders in Office" by Harvey Milk pushes for gays and lesbians to get into office; "A Gay Rights Activist Reflects on the Movement" by Larry Kramer considers a bleak future for the movement given various issues and concerns; "On Being Black and Gay" by John Bernard Jones argues respect the choice to come out or stay in the closet; and "An Activist of the Streets, for the Streets, by the Streets" by Sylvia (Ray) Rivera looks back on the new breed of gay rights activism that emerged form the Stonewall Inn riot.

The chief value of this collection is that it provides a host of primar documents reflecting the history and rhetoric of the gay rights movement. If students are going to make their mind up about a controversial topics of social and political importance, then primary documents such as these are always going to be of value. Additional research tools in the book of the book include an extensive bibliography, a chronology of events from Emma Goldman declaring homosexuality is not abnormal in 1915 to the Pennsylvania Legislature passing a bill to extend the state's hate crime laws to include sexual orientation and gender, and a comprehensive index. Other books in the American Social Movements series look at American Environmentalism, the Animal Rights Movement, the Antinuclear Movement, the Antislavery Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Feminist Movement, the Sexual Revolution, and the White Separatist Movement.