Marley Gabel

The Evolution of Homosexual Equality: How have historical events shaped the path to homosexual equality?

Synthesis of Research

What are the gas prices at? Who is getting divorced? How did she end up pregnant? He got arrested again? With super stars and celebrities, the tabloids focuses have shifted to deliver the news that people want to read about. All the while, history is in p rogress around us. From the hippy generation to the punk fad, our history is made as we make it. This is one such story. With perseverance, homosexuals have made large ripples and progresses, shaping societal norms and perspectives around same-sex rights and equality. Before much was understood about homosexuality, it was classified as a mental sickness. Patients could be treated through a series of violent, brutal methods including lobotomies, castrations and shock therapy. At this time, f amilies were often adamant about not leaving any trace of the overwhelming shame of having a homosexual in the family and they often erased the gay relative's presence on earth (Minxer). Due to the social expectations, even the men and women that suffered from homosex uality committed themselves to these hospitals, in efforts to get cured. At the time, same sex relations were completely unacceptable, leading to the need for excruciating treatments and cures. Rising up from the ashes of the era of insanity, came the movements and marches. They started with one brave man, Craig Rodwell. On June 28 th, 1969, the gay community in New York City became so weary of the police attacks that the drag queens, gays and les bians rallied and rioted in an event known as the Stonewall riots. These protests are considered the turning point in the homosexual civil rights movement. In 1970, shortly after the Stonewell Riots, the biggest movements organized by homosexuals and their supporters were the Annual Reminder. This annual event was held in Philadelphia outside the Liberty Hall where men and women would politely, silently picket. Required dress on men was jackets an d ties; for women, only dresses (Sargeant). In profession al clothing, the protesters were unable to make a large, memorable impact, permitting them to go unnoticed. Craig soon realized that a larger, more powerful event was needed to initiate change. Craig started the first gay rights march for the anniversary of Stonewall where thousands of men and women flooded the streets with a synchronized chant and collaborative cause. To this day, LGBT marches are held across the world to bring people together in a movement that is quickly gaining inertia. As a gay pioneer, Craig changed the methods of protests and lead way to influential leaders like Harvey Milk. When Milk was 42, Harvey moved to Castro Street in San Francisco and started a camera shop. His store became a gay hub and he, in turn, became an inspirational leader. He became the first openly gay man elected into public office as a member of the Board of Supervisors. As an activist and motivation to others, he organized marches down Castro Street to the steps of city hall and he initiated determination across the board (MILK). Even after Milks death, the gay population took matters into their hands and thus started the loud and boisterous progresses towards homosexual acceptance and appreciation.

At the start of the 1980s, homosexuality was shoved into the spot light through the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. The homosexual lifestyle was brought to the frontlines and made public through the newly discovered immunity disease. Before doctors understood the disease, it was referred to as Gay Related Immunity Disease (GRID). After doctors found cases of the disease in heterosexuals that had blood transfusions, they changed the name to AIDS. While this disease was detected in heterosexual men and women, doctors saw a majority of homosexual men as patients. Lawrence K. Altman writes, M ost cases have occurred among homosexual men, in particular those who have had numerous sexual partners, often anonymous partners whose identity remains unknown. Homosexuality was brought to the forefront of the media through the AIDs epidemic but this negative publicity proved to be a major setback for the gay civil rights movement. After years of popular bigotry, homosexual equality is finally seeing the winning side of the battle. When social media and internet was introduced to the scene, news was expedited. This allowed for events to be planned easier as well as raising awareness by the millions. In the recent years, this issue has found its way to the front of the news and the latest conflict remains between the church and the ever growing movement of homosexuals and allies. In 2012 and 2013, many states took a leap of faith and passed legislations to legalize same sex unions and same sex marriages. With the rise in awareness and the presence of out gay men and women everywhere, the fight for equality is at a peak point and headed towards a triumphant ending. In 2012, the President of the United States, Barack Obama said, Ive just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married (Calmes, Baker). Heightened levels of activism have taken this issue to a new level and influential leaders, like the president, are beginning to support this cause, changing the societal norm established in the past when homosexuality was a mental instability. Along with the media and new levels of activism, we see celebrities bringing forth their opinions and support for the equality of homosexuals. In 2010, Dan Savage and his partner, Terry Miller, started a project called It Gets Better. After hearing of many young people confronting cruelty and intolerance in their schools and communities, the project was initiated to assure them that things do indeed get better. It Gets Better has gath ered video submissions from a variety of celebrities including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Through publicity and support, the program has grown and continues to be a hub for homosexuals and allies alike. With programs and awareness campaigns like It Gets Better, many celebrities are waving flags of support or coming out themselves. Recently, actor Ellen Page came out at a Human Rights Campaign saying, Im here today because I am gay, and because maybe I can make a difference.(Abcarian) Perspective s and the course of history are changed by one individual at a time, bringing society through the tides of change.

We hear of a world of oppression on the news; we study the world of oppression in history class; we know the world of oppression because that is where we live. Our trap, as humans, is to be ever caught in a whirlwind of breaking each other down and building each other up as observed through the ebbs and flows of the successes and failures of gay equality. If we have conquered one obstacle, another arrives on our path, like the AIDs epidemic setback. Though we perpetuate our existence as a struggling intelligent species, progress is at our fingertips and the key is in the passion and power behind the individuals and groups, united for one cause: equal treatment for all sexualities.

Responses to Research Sources

Source 1: Secondary Source-The American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline Starting in 1924, this timeline documents the movements made towards national equal rights for same-sex couples. This specific document walks through specific dates and large events that have helped or hindered the progress of homosexual marriages. A large part of the article is about the gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Milk becomes the first openly gay commissioner in the United States and he also runs for other political positions such as the State Assembly. Shortly after, he is forced to resign from the Board of Permit Appeals and he abandons political journeys as he founds the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club. Also, the timeline talks about the Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy enforced in the US military. This act essentially allows gays to serve in the military, but they are required to stay in the closet about their sexuality. Through the timeline, many states are represented as allowing for civil-unions for same-sex couples but these same states ban marriage as marriage is defined as a bond between a man and a woman. One of the most important parts of the timeline is that it gives dates for the approval of civil unions and same-sex marriages in different states. The timeline ends in November of 2013 with the statement that Hawaii is the 16th state to legalize and recognize same sex-marriages. While reading this, I kept coming back to the same question; why is this taking so long? In 1962, Illinois decriminalized homosexual relations between two individuals in private. In 1982, Wisconsin becomes the first state to outlaw gay discrimination. But we are on the brink of 2014 and gay marriage is still not legal in 34 states! This disgusts me! We pride ourselves on progress, earned through wars and ground breaking discoveries, yet we cant admit that homosexuals deserve to have equal marriage rights? In general, I felt disappointed that our country is still fighting back so hard against homosexuality. And then, part of me felt joyful that slowly, we are progressing and there are states that are moving towards equality. This is very similar to the laws around interracial marriages and segregation. Though segregation is a thing of the past and slavery is taboo, there is always modern day racism no matter what laws prevent it. The most saddening thing is that even the law enforcement can be racist towards minorities. These two issues are very si milar to each other because of the type of discrimination and social actions taken to prevent exclusive behavior. This makes me wonder, will there always be a minority that is fighting for their rights? Research Question Response: How have historical events shaped the path to homosexual equality? This timeline allows me to see the timeline and pinpoint specific events that have contributed to homosexual equality. Also, there are events and historical figures that are mentioned in the timeline which will allow me to further my research with these personal stories of people like Harvey Milk.

Overarching Themes: This year in humanities, we have been deconstructing America. We have been discovering the dirty underbelly of current events and historical events. Homophobia is one of the largest civil rights violations along with womens rights and black rights, so clearly this ties into the overall theme of humanities. We also did a project on something current that we were passionate about and this topic certainly would have fit the parameters for the project. Additional Questions: What is the difference between civil union and marriage? What are the total details of the Dont Ask, Dont Tell? Is the Dont Ask, Dont Tell still in place?

Source 2: Primary Source-RUComingOut: Bill Thornycroft This is a primary response that chronicles the experience of a gay man from London who is in his mid 80s. The website www.rucomingout.com allows for people to share their coming out stories and Bills story intri gued me because of his age. I was looking for historical context as to the treatment he endured in his earlier years and I found this along with ways that he got involved in a blossoming gay community. This source was very interesting because it was written from a man who lived in London his whole life. In his writing, there is no clear discrimination and aggression towards him. He seems very open about sharing with the readers all parts of his experience and none of it reveals his struggles. Through this site, I have hope that there are tons and tons of chances for people to express their stories in a safe environment which will only help make the whole topic less alien. Although it makes me hopeful that he didnt experience bullyingor maybe he just didn t write about it but I know that there is hazing and discrimination no matter where you go. This is a very real part of homophobia that is part of the experience of coming out. He claims I felt free to talk to my close friends about fancying men. In the 1940s homosexuality was such an unknown I would assume that even close friends wouldnt understand. Of course, this is not something that I have experienced personally, but I feel like he sugar coated the story to avoid the harsh reality of the topic at the time. This may be his way of getting over a horrible event that did happen and he chose not to write about because it still hurts too much. I believe there was much more negativity towards homosexuality in the past than he lets on. Research Question Response: How have historical events shaped the path to homosexual equality? In this story, what coming out meant to Bill was that he got involved. He jumped right in to groups and organizations that supported his gay identity. He talks about how he got involved with the Communist party and then later joined a group of gay men that went to gay friendly bars and theaters and talent shows together. For this man, coming out meant being part of a great community that supported him and welcomed him in. This is interesting because it might just be the experience he had because he was in London. Overarching Themes: In the op-ed project, we focused on one particular topic we were particularly passionate about and spent time researching and writing about that topic. This project ties into this article because he writes this story like he wasnt hiding who he was for the most of his life. He was jumping at opportunities to pursue something he was passionate about, like the theatre, and he didnt let his sexuality hold him back. I think it is an interesting truth of humans that we often hide our true passions for fear of being judged, but this man went for it and lived fully without holding back which makes me wish, that as youth we could reach that understanding where we just dont care about what others think.

Additional Questions: What was the timeline for gay rights in Europe? How do foreign countries effect the decisions of our country when it comes to matters like this? I wonder what the first person account of a straight ally would look like in the 20 th century.

Source 3: Tertiary Source-How Gay Marriage Won-David Von Drehle This well written article in the Time magazine covers a variety of topics about gay marriage. The article starts out by talking about the recent politics and decisions about gay marriage and homosexual couples. Then, the article focuses on why gay marriage was not being strongly pushed for by gay rights activists until recently. They believed that pushing for marriage was premature as they could still be prosecuted for simply having homosexual relationships. One of the largest components of this article is the change in peoples perspective as many citizens as well as politicians shifted from objection to support. This transformation is illuminated in the article through a rough outline of monumental moments in the progression of gay rights. In this article, one of the focuses is on the fact that gay marriage, until recently was not the priority. At the beginning of the movement, homosexuals wanted simple respect for their love and ability to freely date. However, when the AIDs epidemic hit and gay partners were banned from hospital rooms and could not claim social security or pension benefits, the desire for legitimate marriage began to grow. They were then fighting to be able to love, date and marry who they wanted while receiving the same benefits that heterosexual relationships receive. David also focuses on the fact that homosexuality is very real in the United States and it is, in a way, already winning. There are celebrities, TV shows and movies that support and represent the homosexual community. Now it is just a matter of legalization. Through many court cases, there is a battle and strong push for legalization of gay marriage everywhere, and this battle will continue though, in a way, we have already won the battle. When I was reading this, I really just became inspired to research more. There were so many court cases and facets of history that I havent even looked into that would be able to lead me to a clearer direction on my final project. I really felt, when I was reading this, that it would be important to study interracial relationships because the two might have a lot in common. I personally, dont know a lot about interracial marriages and the struggle for that right, but there is definitely worth in researching it. Also, I felt some strong pus hback on the author about his overall claim that we have already won the battle. Though homosexuality is no hidden truth, we are far from reaching a solution. Yes, the media portrays the gay and lesbian couples as well as promoting media that represent those types of relationships, but there are large groups of people that are opposed to gay marriage and even deny homosexuality as a reality. We are closer to a solution and comfortable sense of equality than when this topic arose, but we are far from winning. Additionally, coming out is not limited to those who identify as lesbian or gay. There are transgendered people, bisexual people and a multitude of other identities that are still under the surface. If we are dealing with pure gay and lesbian couples now, why not work towards marriage for any couple, regardless of anything except maybe age. I would have liked to see this article write more about the other factors of the LGBTQ community because those are all identities that will be faced inevitably, so what are we doing now to make it one process.

Research Question Response: How have historical events shaped the path to homosexual equality? When I was reading this, I was not thinking specifically about my chosen research question. Instead, I was thinking about the possibility of studying the American Psychiatry Association and focusing on this for my main research piece. Also, in this artic le there was the story of Jack Baker and Michael McConnell asking for a marriage license in 1970, at which point gay marriage was still a taboo, of sorts. This is an interesting piece to the entire puzzle of coming out. Overarching Themes: In Humanities, we have studied many topics. On that we have focused on is the idea that we can deconstruct the American ideology. This is a huge part of this entire article. There are many pieces of evidence that are from before gay marriage was so publicized which shows to me that these activists were deconstructing America and challenging the status quo. Also, we spent a ton of time on rhetoric and fallacies. In all of these court cases the rhetoric used would be interesting to study as well as the rhetoric of those fighting for the equality of homosexuals at the time that it was a new conflict. How was the rhetoric effective? What was not so effective? How was the plea for equality presented? What fallacies were made? These are all key components that tie into what we have been studying in humanities and the historical content of this research question. Additional Questions: What did gay detox look like in psychiatry offices? Did interracial marriages struggle with a similar conflict? Is divorce forbidden by the bible? Could I study the American Psychiatric Association and their regulations with homosexuality as a topic?

Source 4: Tertiary Source-The Miseducation of Cameron Post: By Emily M. Danforth: This is a novel based in the 1990s in Montana. The main character, Cameron Post, is 12 years old when both of her parents die in a car wreck. The day of the wreck, her best friend Irene Klauson dared Cameron to kiss her. She took the dare and realized it all felt right and very exciting in the moment, causing her initial reactions to the accident to only be relief that her parents would never know she kissed Irene. Then Cameron is under the care of her Aunt Ruth and her Grandma. Irene moves away and Cameron begins to hang out with boys and turns towards drinking and smoking. Aunt Ruth and Cameron begin attending a new church called Gates of Praise, where Cameron quickly learns that homosexuality is a horrible sin in the eyes of the God their pastor spoke of. This doesnt stop her from pursuing a few female friends, including a girl who attends the same church, Coley Taylor. Coley has a boyfriend, but while he is away during the summer, Cameron and Coley begin a lustful relationship that eventually gets taken too far and Coley starts to feel guilty and scared. She confesses to her mother and her brother because she fears she is being corrupted by Cameron. Camerons aunt and pastor confront her and decide it is best if she goes to a school to help heal teens sexual deviance called Gods Promise. While there, sh e meets new friends and realizes that the psychiatrists in charge of the school were really winging the program and essentially trying to get the students to hate themselves so they change. At the end, she runs away with two of her friends and goes to the lake where her parents died to accept that part of her past and to allow herself to see the possibilities in the future. Though this novel was engaging, there were also parts where I was incredibly frustrated and upset that a school like that existed and probably still does. What was even more frustrating to me was the fact that some of what the author wrote about in the counseling sessions actually made sense to me. However, one part of the story that I though was weak was the emotions portrayed in the character. There is one distinctive part that I remember reading about where the character is actually angry, but the rest of the story the character is indifferent and essentially emotionless or distant. I feel like this is accurate when describing someone who has recently dealt with trauma, like losing both parents, but as the story progressed I think the author should have included more raw emotion from the characters about the death of the parents or the anger towards Coley for ratting her out or even t he feeling of joy when she was with Coley. And then the feelings towards the school she was forced to go to, or her feelings towards homosexuality. These are large parts of the story that are never really touched by emotion, belittling the story. Research Question Response: How have historical events shaped the path to homosexual equality? In Montana in the 1990s, coming out meant you were a clear sinner and needed to repent and prevent yourself from sexual perversion. There was little to no tolerance tow ards homosexuals and God was brought into all cases to try to cure homosexuality. Or as the book says, not cure but guide you away from sin. The author writes that they are not trying

to get the students to stop being homosexual, they are trying to get them to stop being sinners. The author also writes about how the leaders of the school didnt believe that there was a gay community and that it was a myth. All of these very clearly negate the progress of the civil rights movement which shaped the path of homosexual equality by causing the movement to take steps back before being able to move forwards. Overarching Themes: One topic that has been heavily focused on in Humanities 11 is the idea of progress and the sacrifices progress sometimes requires. This book makes me think about the progress that the institution believed it was making as opposed to the negative progress being made by the civil rights movements because of institutions like Gods Promise. The other thing we have talked about in Humanities is that there are a plethora of varying perspectives on right and wrong. To me, it really seems that there can never be an absolute fact. Because even things that seem absolute, such as this is a blue table could be different depending on the persons perception of the color. This novel encompasses the idea of progress in one direction per the regulations of what a specific group of people viewed as right, whereas this same progress could be considered a handicap by the opposing members of the conflict. Additional Questions: Similar methods mentioned in the book have been used to try to cure people of their depression, so I wonder if with the large gay rights movements, will we see more recognition of other mental illnesses? How many suicides are caused by feeling out of place due to homosexuality? Do places like Gods Promise still exist? When was homosexuality first an issue addressed by the public?

Source 5: MILK-Fictionalized Source-Gus Van Sant In this two hour movie, the life of gay activist Harvey Milk was clearly portrayed. In the beginning, he meets his lover Scott and says he hasnt done anything and he is forty years old. From that moment, he is completely involved in the justice of homosexual s and takes 8 years to make phenomenal waves. By moving to San Francisco, Milk immersed himself into the culture of open-mindedness to gay rights and he settles in on Castro Street. Soon, his camera store becomes a local hub and safe haven for the gay population. When many men and women were arrested and constantly harassed, Milk saw his way to the city supervisor and realized that by having that position, he would be better able to change the perspectives of the people. For three years he ran for city supervisor. The first year he went wearing denim and a long beard. He had a group of people working with him, but their efforts were not enough. The second year he realized he needed to strengthen his crew and change his look. He went for the suit and tie and a clean shave, promoting more credibility. His group of campaign manager also shifted their spin on his campaign and created the slogan Harvey Milk vs. The Machine. After the second election, they were tired, worn down and had a horribly low morale. Milk s relationship with Scott was on a downward spiral and they didnt know if they had another one in them. However, when Harvey realizes that the new territory the city supervisor would be in charge of was specifically for the gay section of castro street and the hippies domain. This sparked his enthusiasm and ran for a third time, with new beginnings and tactics. He hired a new campaign manager after Scott walked out on him, and Anne, the newly hired lesbian, lead them to success. She got him published in papers and finally, he was the first gay man to be elected into public office. The first major issue he faced was proposition 6, initiated by Senator John Briggs, to fire all homosexual teachers to prevent them from tainting the minds of the children. At th e beginning of the propositions life span, the state of California was in favor of the proposition, but on the night of elections, the proposition didnt pass on a 2 to 1 vote. This was the first triumph that Milk had in office. However, another city supervisor was angry at Milk because he wasnt supported by Harvey. This particular city supervisor was Dan White, who cracked and became crazed. He resigned from his job, but shortly after he asked for his job back and when he was denied by the Mayor Moscone, he shot the mayor. He then walked to Harveys office, took him aside in a closed room and shot him as well. After Harveys death, his supporters marched the streets with a candle lit vigil and worked to preserve his name and continue working towards gay justice after his death.

When watching this movie I reacted very strongly to the character of Harvey Milk. He is a man who wants to save everyone. He brings a man in off of the street and after hearing the mans story, says no one will ever beat you again. The truth is, he cant promise this but he wants to be able to save the people that come to him in need. Then, the same man goes on to become Milks lover and he tries to be there for the man, when clearly his personal

issues far outweighed his current situation. He was scared to be alone and didnt like to be lied to or for Harvey to be late coming home. One day, he calls to find out when Harvey will be home and the response is 6:00 or 6:15. But when Milk gets home at 6:15, it was too late and his lover had hung himself. This whole scene was impactful to me not only because of the suicide, which might have been caused by an internal struggle with abandonment or by the haunting past of his homosexuality he felt he could only escape from with Harvey around. Additionally, this allows us to learn more about Harveys personality and core beliefs that everyone deserves kindness and to be saved when the chance is available. Research Question Response: How have historical events shaped the path to homosexual equality? This entire story strongly supports my research question. One of Milks tactics was a movement to get everyone to come out of the closet. He thought, by doing this there would be more personal connections to the gay movement and in turn, support it. Harvey Milk urged his campaign managers and the people in support of his efforts to come out to any one they hadnt come out to yet to promote this sense of connection. This is one of the events in history that certainly helped homosexuals become more widely accepted as they took steps towards equality. Overarching Themes: In my own experience when I have tried to do something and make a change, I have realized the first step you have to take is simple raise awareness in the people you are trying to talk with and communicate to. This theme is also seen in the movie Milk because what Harvey is trying to do is raise awareness by encouraging everyone to come out. This is truly the first step to change. Additionally, in Humanities we have looked at the injustice done to the natives, which was a very specific type of social injust ice. In this movie, a flyer is made to support civil rights, but Harvey doesnt approve the poster because it said nothing about the specific rights they were dealing with: homosexuals. In both of these cases, the fight isnt just for civil rights, it is f or a specific type and the distinction, I am learning, is very important. Additional Questions: How many people commit suicide because of their sexuality? What is the history behind Castro Street? Have there been other openly gay people in public office since then? What other acts/ propositions have there been to ban homosexuals from the work place?

Historical Thinking Chart: Primary and Secondary Source

Primary Source: Bill Thornycroft

Sourcing: The authors main perspective is that he always knew he was gay and he always knew he didnt want that changed. Through the hate and discrimination, he stayed true to himself even when he was offered the chance at therapy. This was written in 2012 to illuminate to a younger generation that it gets better and that by living life with your true colors shining through, you are much happier. I would say that this source is believable because it is a first person source and he wants people to believe in everyth ing getting better. Besides, after getting lied to that his homosexuality was wrong, why would he go and lie about his personal story? Contextualization: This was written very recently, but similar struggles that Bill grew up with were still very real at the time he wrote this personal account. One thing that would have most likely been the same as his experience then as it would now is the hate and bigotry he faced when attempting to be himself and accept himself as an out, gay male. However, at the time that Bill was experiencing adolescence and young adult hood was in a very close minded time period. He was a teenager and young adult in the late 1930s and early 1940s. This was around the time that conflicts began to start and then World War II started. Close Reading: One of the claims that the author makes is simple that he loves being gay. He uses his experience with the fun gay bars as evidence to support his claim. In general, this document makes me feel hopeful for the future generations and their progresses in homosexual equality. I would, however, liked for him to talk more about his current experience as a gay man and how that has changed since his young adulthood. Corroboration: For this particular piece of evidence, it is hard to find other sources to corroborate with because it is a first person account of his life. He writes about his own experiences and recounts them to the best of his memory. Because there are no other documents to match Bills story against.

Secondary Source: The American Gay Rights Movement: A Timeline

Sourcing: The author of this document was trying to portray these events with a neutral perspective. I can tell that this is a mostly neutral source because all events, for or against homosexual marriage, is accounted for in this document. I believe this source was written for learners that like small bits of information at a time. A timeline is a great way to present chronological information in a concise fashion and that is exactly what this source does. Additionally, this source is believable because when cross referenced with a timeline found on the Time magazine website, the two reported similar dates and events. Contextualizing: This was written in the past year, when there was a need for a timeline of these events. As history was made many times in the past year, a timeline was readily updated with the appropriate information to keep the current events in order and to track progress. Close Reading: Through this document, there are underlying claims that speak softly for themselves. These are usually one of the two claims: gay marriage and homosexuality is on its way to acceptance and equality or gay marriage and homosexuality are losing footing and making negative progress. Both of these can be interpreted bas ed on the facts and solid pieces of evidence the timeline uses. Many times in this document I got angry and upset because of the realization that we should be much farther along in this fight than we are. In 1962, Illinois was making the first step to homosexual equality and here we are over 50 years later and the issue is still being debated, fought and rejected. Corroboration: Overall, this piece of evidence was very believable because the dates are based on facts and propositions, acts and amendments that have been passed. These are difficult to change the accuracy of, therefore making this source highly reliable. Additionally, the other sources found, like the timeline in the Times magazine, support the claims made in this particular document.

Bibliography

Bibliography
Abcarian, Robin. Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. <http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-ra-an-emotional-ellen-page-juno-starcomes-out-at-hrc-conference-20140214,0,5964490.story#axzz2tnBqWb5T>. Altman, Lawrence. New York Times . The New York Times Company, 11 May 1982. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/11/science/new-homosexualdisorder-worries-health-officials.html>. Calmes, Jackie and Peter Baker. New York Times. New York Times Company, 9 May 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-sayssame-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0>. Danforth, Emily M. The Miseducation of Cameron Post . New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2012. Print. Drehle, David Von. "How Gay Mariage Won." TIME: n. pag. Print. InfoPlease. Pearson Education, 10 2013. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0761909.html>. MILK. Dir. Gus Van Sant. Prod. Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen. Screenplay by Dustin Lance Black. Perf. Sean Penn. Focus Features, 2008. Film. R U Coming Out . R U Coming Out, Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.rucomingout.com/billyt.html>. Sargeant, Fred. Village Voice. Village Voice, 22 June 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2014. <http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-06-22/news/1970-a-first-person-account-of-thefirst-gay-pride-march/full/>.