"Thoughts on Yesterday" Response

This blog, Thoughts on Yesterday, was on the topic of Gay and Lesbian rights. The presentation in general was very powerful. The youtubes that Laura chose explained and demonstrated the ways that the gay community feels in American society. I have had previous knowledge about gays and lesbians and the struggles they go through because of who they are. I believe that gays and lesbians are born the way that they are, and because of that have no control of their sexuality. Watching Laura's presentation opened my eyes to the beginning of gay community's revolt against society. The Stonewall riots were a significant event for gays and lesbians because it was the first time that gay individuals fought back against the discrimination they were facing. This was the first time the gay community broke their silence. The theme of Laura's blog that was carried throughout her slides was the idea of silence. For a long time in history gays and lesbians had to remain silent. They were not allowed to come out and let even their closest relatives know they they were gay. The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy created by President Clinton in 1993 captured my attention of what was happening in society during the 1990's. This policy allowed gays into the military under the circumstance that they were unable to talk about their sexuality as well as answer any questions regarding it. This relates to the day of silence that was mentioned in Laura's final presentation. Here at DHS, the day of silence occurs. The day of silence is a day where gays and lesbians let their voices be heard, in the sense that they do not speak. For many gays, they were and maybe still are unable to talk to others about their sexuality. Some religions strongly believe gay individuals will go to hell for being gay. It is sad to realize that even today, some states in our country do not allow gay marriage. These people are just like everyone else, they simply just attracted to the same sex. Overall, I really enjoyed Laura's presentation and it helped me form my own opinion on the gay/lesbian controversy that still exists today. I also was informed about the path that these individuals took in order to fight for equal rights.