sexual liberation and gay rights

Sexual liberation

• sexual revolution with increased acceptence of casual , pre-marital sex , aboretion , homosexuality and extramarital relation number of cohabited couple:

  • 1955 - 250k

  • 1980 - 2m

• percentage of single white women who had sex was around 25% in mid 1950 , bu more than double that by 1972

• Dick van Dyke show - 'pregnant was bakc’

• 1968 musical ‘hair’ celebrated sexual freedome , naked cast

what explains the sexual revolution

• Kinsey report - book on male and female sexuality were best sellers

  • 68 % (M) and 50% (F) had engaged in sex before marriage

  • 37% (M) and 12% (F) - homosexual experience

  • 8% (M) and 4% (F) sex with animals

• widespread availability of the first oral contraceptive

• 1962 - 1.2 million using the pill , 6.5 by 1965

Impact

• divorce rates almost rose 100% in the 60s . increased 82% by 1982

• Number of people alone rose from 10.9% in 1964 to 25% by 1980

The origins of gay rights

• 1963 being gay was illegal in the USA

• you could be discharged from the military for being gay and was sufficient enough to fire a federal employee

• American psychiatric institute , classified homosexuality as a mental illness until 1974

• 17th June 1969 , raiding of the Stonewall Inn

Stonewall riots

• Gay men’s long suffered entrapment ( artificial situation to entice a criminal to commit a crime)

• 5 day riot and seen as the birth of gay rights

• led to American psychiatric society to remove homosexuality from list of mental illness in 1974

• by 1973 800 gay and lesbian organisation had been formed across the USA

• 1977 , san Francisco elected first openly gay man Harvey Milik ( assassinated)