Article Review on Fighting for Sexuality Rights by Gay Student Groups

The article creates an image of two gay student groups from University fighting for their sexual rights. The article more so traces the fight from 1969 where the first gay group advocated for the liberation of their fellow victims through a strong militant gay organization (Beemyn 205). Both the Student Homophile League (SHL) and the militant gay group wanted all bisexuals, gays, and lesbians to enjoy their rights without any form of torture or discrimination. In this case, the article develops on the thesis; the liberation of gay rights for gay students through the Military gay organization and the Student Homophile League (SHL). Source of the Article: Brett Beemyn gives an account of the history of sexuality, and the liberation struggles through SHL and Military Gay Organization since 1945 to 1980s.

The establishment of the SHL was not easy at that time since Columbia could neither protect the rights of gays as well as recognize any student organization without a membership list. Due to this case, many gay movements of 1950's always held their actions in discreet for fear of judgment and even humiliation, an issue that proved to be a problem to open bisexual students like Stephen Donaldson. However, the matter was resolved in Columbia, and the gay groups were legalized having been granted the freedom to fight for their rights. The strategies involved holding public meetings, inviting heterosexual individuals in the group and even holding private literature discussions. Purposely, these meetings were meant to invite members into the group to increase the number before embarking on the liberation fight. With the required number, the groups began its liberation through holding riots. The riots conducted by the activists went from one university to the other starting from Cornell (Beemyn 210). The aim of the gay activists was to show people that gay people are normal and that they were proud of being who they are through enlightening some of their personal experiences to the people. Through the gay movement, other non-gay individuals began seeing the need to support the gay victims to liberate their rights. In this case, the other non-gay students who also had any form of attraction to their fellow sex joined the liberation through creating an activism movement in support of the gay groups at Cornell University and other schools. However, the gay groups received much support from other university movements that enabled them to acquire not only courage but also the strength to fight for their rights boldly as gays without any fear. A good example is the Student Homophile League that always received encouragement from Black Power Movements and the Military, anti war personnel. The support of the two Black Power and the Military movements significantly affected the Student Homophile League (SHL) which gained so much strength to fight from the civil to political and social liberations (Beemyn 223). In this case, the SHL impacted positively to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement (LGBT).

Regarding the issue of gay rights, I believe the two gay movements have actively involved in the liberation of their fellow gays, in the sense that institutions should stop dramatizing these victims. The society should highly offer support to gay activists since they are fighting for the purpose of the entire community. A good example is when the non-gays join the two gay movements to advocate for equal treatment for the gay individuals making it clear that through support from all the people, a better society can be present. People with sexual differences are ordinary people and thus, require being shown love and left to enjoy their rights. It is clear that the gay individuals have come openly to show people who they truly are to be accepted and supported but not to face discrimination. In this case, learning institutions should set up more of these movements to eradicate gay bullying among students.

Work Cited

Beemyn, Brett. "The silence is broken: A history of the first lesbian, gay and bisexual college student groups." Journal of the History of Sexuality 12.2 (2003): pp.205-223.