The Gay Rights MovementThe history of the gay rights movement dates back to the late 19th century. Specifically, gay people's quest to seek out others like themselves and foster a sense of identity has been around ever since. This is an innovative movement that seeks to change existing norms and gain acceptance within our culture. In 1915, a homosexual declared that the gay world was a "distinctly organized community" (Milestones 1991), but that it generally remained out of sight due to social hostility. According to the Milestones article, after World War II, around 1940, many cities saw their first gay bars open as many gay people began to network. Their newfound visibility only backfired, however, as in the 1950s President Eisenhower banned gays from holding federal jobs and many state institutions did the same. The federal government's initiative encouraged local police forces to harass gay citizens. “Deputies regularly raided gay bars, sometimes arresting dozens of men and women in a single night” (Milestones). Despite adversity, it was also in the 1950s that the first organized groups of homosexuals, including leaders, appeared. The movement was small at first, but it grew exponentially in a short time. Encouraged by the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the "homophile" movement (Milestones) gained visibility, picketing government agencies and adopting discriminatory policies. In 1969, there were around fifty gay organizations in the United States. The most pivotal moment to explode the gay rights movement occurred on the evening of July 27, 1969, when a group of police officers raided a New York gay bar. This act caused three days of rioting in the area called Stonewall Rio...... middle of paper ...... from our original anchors or beliefs, so we assume that this n 'is not correct, and let us continue to believe that as we did before. The gay rights movement has advanced the idea and acceptance of homosexuals in American culture over the past thirty years. However, those who accept homosexuality or those who encourage it remain a minority in comparison. So there is still a long way to go before homosexuality is considered completely normal and gays are treated like everyone else. The great popular uprising has already passed, and now the movement is in a maintenance phase, where it no longer receives much media attention. This might be the best path forward for the Movement, as its goal has always been to blend in and be treated like everyone else. How better to do this than not to draw attention to yourself.