40 Years Later: How Far has the Gay Rights Movement Come?

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Even before the Stonewall riots, gay activists demonstrated in the 60’s for anti-discrimination policies for gays in the federal government and the military.

The 1979 March on Washington issued what became known as The Five Demands:

  • Pass a comprehensive lesbian/gay rights bill in Congress;
  • Issue a Presidential Executive Order banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal government;
  • Repeal all anti-lesbian/gay laws;
  • End discrimination in lesbian mother and gay father custody battles; and, 
  • Protect lesbian/gay youth from laws that discriminate against, oppress, and/or harass.

Today, almost 40 years after Stonewall, we are still debating many of the same issues. Despite significant progress, we have not passed national legislature on any of the original demands except for an Executive Order banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in the Federal Government. 

Join representatives of several of the national GLBT political organizations as they assess the current political climate, and discuss where we have made political gains and why we have not made more. 

Wednesday, April 19. 6:30-8pm, Charles Sumner School Auditorium

40 Years Later: How Far has the Gay Rights Movement Come?