Gay Activism In The 1950's

Coming directly off of the heels of the homophile movements during the 1950's, gay activism in the proceeding decades attempted to follow the templates that these organizations such as the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis. although these new organizations attempted to differentiate themselves from their predecessors, they, for the most part, held type to one key ideology, respectability. The public opinion of homosexuals during this time was rather unfavorable, many individuals affiliated gayness with crimes such as prostitution and pedophilia due to propagandist images being widespread. Organizations sought to shed themselves of these stereotypes in a similar fashion to other civil rights activist many gay rights activists agreed
Rivera’s refusal, or as she states inability, to conform to the societal standard of masculinity put her in an extremely dangerous situation with straight people. The verbal and physical attacks in addition to the isolated position she was put in as an effeminate boy are what led him to the world of hustling where she was surrounded by others who shared similar experiences. A majority of young black and Latino gays became street kids because they lacked resources which is what initially led Sylvia to join black activist movements because she related to the community. The major gay activist movements were spearheaded by white middle to upper-class men who lived in a world separate from that of Rivera. It wasn’t until her participation in the Stonewall Riots that Rivera ultimately decided to get involved in gay activism. It was the first time she had seen a group of homosexuals actively fight back against the policemen who at this point have been harassing the community for decades. In her own words, she felt that this act of fighting back for her people was revolutionary. Despite being apprehensive about joining an organization she eventually became a member of the GAA actively petitioning for gay
She was met with discrimination at every turn and felt that the organizations she had worked so hard for did not want to associate themselves with someone because “nobody wanted us queens there” and she was right. Gay activist movements wanted to rid themselves of the fairy and pansy images of the past and did so by pushing individuals like Rivera away from the spotlight. Drag queens and trans people felt that they had no one to turn to but themselves which resulted in the formation of STAR. Their goal was to protect the newer generation of street kids from the what they had to face. They received no assistance from other gay activist groups and were funded solely from the prostitution of Rivera and other older queens. This act of selflessness on the part of the older queens allowed for younger street kids to avoid the dangers of hustling and involvement with the