The gay rights movement The history of the gay rights movement dates back to the late 19th century. More precisely, the search by gays to identify others like them and to foster a feeling of identity has been ongoing ever since. It is an innovative movement that seeks to change existing norms and gain acceptance within our culture. In 1915, a gay person stated that the gay world was a "community, distinctly organized" (Milestones 1991), but kept mostly hidden due to social hostility. According to the Milestones article, after World War II, around 1940, many cities saw their first gay bars open as many homosexuals began networking. However, their newfound visibility only backfired, as in the 1950s President Eisenhower banned gays from holding federal positions, and many state institutions did the same. The initiative taken by the federal government encouraged local police forces to harass gay citizens. “Vice officers regularly raided gay bars, sometimes arresting dozens of men and women in a single night” (Milestones). Despite the adversities, the first organized gay groups, including leaders, also arose starting in the 1950s. The movement was small at first, but it grew exponentially in short periods of time. Spurred by the civil rights movement in the 1960s, the "homophile" (Milestones) movement took on greater visibility, picketing government agencies and discriminatory policies. In 1969, there were approximately 50 gay organizations in the United States. The most crucial moment that sparked the gay rights movement was on the evening of July 27, 1969, when a group of police raided a gay bar in New York City. This act resulted in three days of unrest in the area called Stonewall Rio…middle of the paper…from our original anchor points or beliefs, so we assume it is incorrect and continue to believe it as we did before. The Gay Rights Movement has brought the idea and acceptance of homosexuals into American culture a long way in the last thirty years or so. However, those who accept homosexuality or those who encourage it are still a minority in comparison, and so there is still a long way to go before homosexuality is considered completely normal and gays are treated like everyone else . The great popular uprising has already come and gone, and now the movement is in the maintenance phase, where it no longer receives much media attention. This may be the best path forward for the Movement, as their goal has always been to blend in and be treated like everyone else. It is no better to do so than not to draw attention to yourself.