History and Challenges of LGBTQ Community in the United States

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
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Introduction
Throughout its history, America has signified equal opportunity for people belonging to
all races, origins, religions serving as a guiding light of hope for any individual seeking for an
enhanced life. However, in the view of authors, regardless of its founding values and principles
of egalitarianism and acceptance, the United States further constitutes a long record of refuting
fundamental rights to certain individuals (Mayfield et al., 2017). The aim of the following paper
is to evaluate the distinctiveness, history of LGBTQ community. In addition to this, the paper
will highlight certain discriminations and injustice which the community has been encountering
for long.
Discussion
History of LGBTQ community
Studies of Jowett (2017) indicate LGBT history which originates from the initial recorded
events of same-sex affection and sexuality of ancient civilizations. These events further entailed
history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) individuals as well as beliefs, values and
cultures across the world. Mayfield et al. (2017) have noted that after the Stonewall riots in 1969,
LGBT activists pursued greater number of radical politics by joining associations like Gay
Liberation Front. The foundation of LGBT is aimed to underline a range of sexuality and gender
identity-based cultures and typically represents any individual who is non-heterosexual or non
cisgender instead of exclusively to individuals who belong to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender community. However, according to Martos, Wilson and Meyer (2017), to distinguish
such an inclusion, an accepted variant adds the letter ‘Q’ for the individuals who are recognized
as queer or questioning their sexual identity as LGBTQ since 1996. Queer has also undergone
complex history which involves a derogatory use by individuals who have harmful activities in

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mind. However, over the past three decades, queer has developed a position in fields of
academia, politics and further in domain of popular culture (Mayfield et al., 2017).
Distinctiveness of LGBTQ Community
There can be identified significant growth of LGBTQ community at international as well
as national level (Martos, Wilson & Meyer, 2017). The historic LGBT declaration at the United
Nations Human Rights Council adopted in the year 2014 has been led by administration and
government from the global south, chiefly Latin America and further supported by other nations
from all over the world including South Africa. Eskridge Jr (2017) has observed the status of the
LGBTQ community as good litmus analysis for the status of human rights in the society due to
its vulnerable marginal recognition. Furthermore, as lesbians counterfeited greater number of
public identities, the terms ‘gay and lesbian’ gained substantial universality. Lesbians who
obtained a greater essentialist perspective that they had been born homosexual and further used
the descriptor ‘lesbian’ to characterize forms of sexual attraction (Semenova et al., 2015). Such
attraction has typically been regarded as separatist, apprehensive opinions and views of lesbian-
feminists to be unfavourable to the cause of gay rights. Jowett (2017) have stated that these
concerned opinions eventually have been pursued by bisexual as well as transgender individual
further seeking recognition as legitimate categories within the larger community.
However, according to Swann et al. (2016), while public attitudes have been changing
significantly over the past few decades regarding youths reveal their personal events and
experiences concerning sexual preferences. Reports of Lopez-Baez and Wheat (2017) reveal
over 58% of all LGBTQ adults have made revelations of their sexual orientation or sexual
preferences while around 39% have confessed about their gender identity to their fathers.
Furthermore, within the LGBT populace, there can be observed a greater social reception has