A Place at the Table: The Process of Personal and Community LGBT Engagement in the Gay Movement

A Place at the Table: The Process of Personal and Community LGBT Engagement in the Gay Movement Public Deposited

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Social movements are, by their very nature, public relations initiatives which exact change at the societal level. The modern American gay movement is no exception. Its leap onto America's front page is often marked by the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Indicative of most social movements, the gay experience has witnessed social unrest, community mobilization, and certainly push-back from a mainstream, heterocentric dominant culture. But as more critical battles are waged, and as more milestones are achieved, it is critical to analyze the current state of the gay movement "from within." Through a qualitative content-analysis and a series of in-depth interviews, this study attempts to define today's gay movement, analyze whose voices within the movement are being heard, and investigate the assumption of the "gay movement" as a traditional social movement. Ultimately, the research aims to determine how LGBT persons perceive the community's path to achieving a place at society's table.

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