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It's a Wonder They Didn't Recriminalize Homosexuality in the 80's

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Driftr, Mar 20, 2015.

  1. Driftr

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    ...And I'm glad that they haven't, but the reason why I say this is because there just have been so much very strong ignorant stereotypes of gays that were even backed up by people in respectable positions. Like back when gays were being blamed for the conception and spread of HIV/AIDS couldn't the Supreme Court have recriminalized homosexuality on the grounds that doing so would reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS? Or were they on the verge of that? It's really scary to think about and I hope I haven't triggered anyone. I just thought maybe it would be an interesting topic to dicuss.
     
  2. gibson234

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    They shouldn't have as it's unconstitutional.
     
  3. RainDreamer

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    They just came out of Vietnam war and was in middle of a Cold war still. They didn't have time for that.

    The public back then also wasn't blatantly homophobic (not that they were not homophobic, mind you, they just didn't act much since LGBT was still mostly a hidden underground sub group then, and that is fine with them). I believe that there are many people don't actually realize we exist, even.

    It wasn't until very recently with pride movements that we became a public talking point and our rights were considered.
     
  4. Foz

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    Just because it's the law doesn't mean people are going to abide by it! It didn't stop people before so it wouldn't have stopped them then.
     
  5. greatwhale

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    Well, for a while in San Francisco in the early eighties, at the height of the hysteria surrounding the disease, and when nothing was known for certain about how it was spread, health authorities did shut down the gay bathhouses in San Francisco and elsewhere for a time.

    Although homosexuality wasn't recriminalized, the government (in the US anyway) didn't respond as vigorously as they should have and funded the research needed to learn about this disease. It may surprise some to hear that it was the French who first identified the HIV virus. Indeed the US would have responded appropriately if this were an epidemic affecting the wider population, such as the government's response to the swine flu epidemic of 1976).

    That fact that it seemed to only affect gay males (at first) made it quite easy to do nothing.
     
  6. kindy14

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    Re-criminalize, the sex acts were illegal in many states, and still are on the books in some states.

    There was a lot going on in the 80's, not the least of which was a hot war on the periphery of the cold war in Afghanistan, little show of forces 'invasions' in our hemisphere, and lining nuclear missles up with Russia along the Western Europe/Communist client states borders. We were all told to worry about Ray-gun Reagan blowing up the world.

    One of the factors in the spread was with the CDC and other public health official not treating this as any other epidemic. There are many factors involved with this.

    I do remember, there was a lot of argument about treating it like any other infectious disease. Ie, finding those who have it, tracking down it's "patient zero," looking at transmission vectors. Because this was first detected in the gay community, there was a lot of hesitance to target that community. Some of it from within the community, because "common sense" public health measures, ie closing bathhouses in San Fran, only effected the gay community.

    Just found this, and it seems to flow pretty accurately from what I remember during those times. AIDS: the Early Years and CDC's Response

    This isn't history to me, I wasn't in the community, but I was in college and it was a topic of education during that time (82-86.)

    It is to easy to look back on history and judge, well, HOW could they ever have not...

    But, history is more complicated then that, and what any particular generation after a struggle gets is not the entirety of events.
     
  7. fragileflame

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    I had never really thought about that, but you are right. It was possible that it could have been considered, or even have happened. However, there were a lot of "underground" LGBT groups that most likely would have fought it with all that they could. Just like they are fighting for marriage right now, it would have been MUCH harder back then to find many people as accepting in the world. But, this a very strong community and it always has been and it always will be.
     
  8. kindy14

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    Oh, also understand, this was pre-internet, pre-open data. A very non-digital world.

    Resulting in it taking longer to realize that this new "disease" was impacting more than just where they first recognized it in the US, ie the gay community.

    There have always been compassionate people helping all sorts of causes. Let me explain I went to a very, classically liberal university. Here is one of their guiding values, which hasn't changed from when I went there:

    A true Christian helps those in need, whatever the circumstances. I've got a 21 year old HIV+ former drug dealing meth addicted whore (his words) sitting at my office at work. I'm giving him room and board, in exchange for him cooking and cleaning. He's got several options for sleeping in the apartment, none of which involve sex with me. He's going to have this arrangement until he get's his life together and some of his obligations (like drivers license, and job) taken care of. I do this from the bottom of my heart with no expectations of anything from him.

    That's what my Lutheran/Christian beliefs and upbringing has always taught me. Growing up in Connecticut, in the 60's/70's/80's, with tolerant parents.
     
  9. Pret Allez

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  10. Lipstick Leuger

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    I remember that. I was a young teen quick to hide the feelings I was having because of the hate and fear. It's no wonder it took me so long to admit I was Queer! They had just barely taken the diagnosis of homosexuality as a mental disorder out of the DSM and then HIV. They talked of putting positive people on an island, or in prison, or tattooing an 'A' on their foreheads to let others know to shun them. It was horrible. We were treated like animals and hated.