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The 21st Century 's focus on cultural identity has brought a new openness within society and created an environment where one can openly express his or her sexual orientation . Same sex relationships were once defined under the umbrella term homosexual ' however as time progressed a diverse culture emerged . Today the LGBT Community referring to Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual and Transgender people , has become a visible minority within society and after years of fighting for the right to be heard , a history was created (D 'augelli Patterson 1995 ,

. 6

At the onset

of World War II , homosexuality was not accepted , in fact federal law prohibited same sex relationships and any individual caught taking part in these antics resulted in imprisonment (D 'augelli Patterson , 1995 ,

. 306 ) The military became focused on expanding their screening processes so that any man suspected of being gay would be disqualified , as no law existed that would ban these individuals from enlisting . As word began to get out that the military was rejecting potential soldiers for their sexual orientation gay men and lesbians were given a choice - declare their sexual orientation during the screening process or remain quiet and hide the truth (Berube , 1990 ,

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When Germany 's air bombing of Britain took place in 1940 psychiatric professionals suddenly noticed an opportunity to further an agenda that would publicly validate their profession . Leading psychiatrists illustrated to the United States government that adding a psychiatric evaluation to the current screening process of the Selective Service would help improve the quality of soldiers enlisting in the military . It was at this time the campaign for Selective Service Psychiatry ' came into play in the US Military and the process was coined by journalists as being a magnificent plan for psychiatric screening of draftees (Berube , 1990 ,

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Upon the approval of the United States Government three highly respected psychiatric professionals , Harry Stack Sullivan , Winfred Overholser and Harry A Steckel , set out to determine the screening procedures for the United States Military . As Sullivan was himself a homosexual the original draft did not contain any reference to disqualification due to sexual orientation , however military officials demanded that homosexuality be declared a mental impairment and a reason for disqualification or dismissal from the United States Military (Berube , 1990 ,

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The military not only made it legal to discharge a soldier because of sexual orientation , which still exists in the 21st Century , they also gave homosexuality a new face . What was once considered a crime that warranted jail time was now considered an illness that required medical treatment . By 1944 directives had been established that once identified , the suspect was placed on sick call or sent to sick bay and hospitalized for his condition (Berube , 1990 ,

. 135 ) A psychiatrist was then responsible for medical treatment and the soldier 's behavior was observed and treatment was prescribed . This new view on homosexuality created an environment that somewhat tolerated the alternate behavior ' and as a result propelled gay men and lesbians into the mainstream of American life (Berube , 1990 ,

. 255

The 60s was a time of protest for all cultural communities especially the gay and lesbian activists who actively protested for their rights . Protestors were victorious on many levels as many discriminatory laws and policies were changed , especially in the area of employment . Most importantly , multiple studies were conducted that found no evidence of psychopathology in gay men (D 'augelli Patterson , 1995 ,

. 296 ) The attitude of the homosexual community changed , as suddenly it was no longer the homosexual being the problem to society it was quite the opposite . The sudden shift in thought process sparked the beginning of the modern LGBT Movement , as on June 27 , 1969 the Stonewall Rebellion took place and would ultimately last for several days . A new ideology was born , Out of the closets and into the streets (D 'augelli Patterson , 1995 ,

. 296

As the LGBT Movement continued based upon the common enemy strategy ' the community found a sense of group solidarity ' that continued to evolve (D 'augelli Patterson , 1995 ,

. 298 ) The 1980s HIV /AIDS crisis sparked political activists to organize and lobby for government funds to be used to further research on the deadly disease Healthcare systems focusing solely on the deadly disease and its complications were formed in New York , Los Angeles and San Francisco to provide healthcare for those afflicted . Programs were created that provided education to sexually active individuals to promote safe sex practices to stop the spread of the disease and counseling services and advocacy units were established for those who needed help . Though society still shunned the idea of homosexuality , many of these programs would not have succeeded if not embedded within the LGBT Community (D 'augelli Patterson , 1995 ,

. 298

Though positive steps had been made in the fight for equality the LGBT Community continued to struggle against the biggest obstacle of all - hatred . One of the most highly publicized hate crimes to date took place on October 6 - 7 , 1998 when University of Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard was murdered just because he was openly gay . As the story unfolded it was discovered that Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson blatantly coaxed Matt into admitting he was gay , they lured him into a vehicle and drove him to a remote area only to beat him to death . The world would later hear that the last words the victim would hear before he was brutally beaten were We 're not gay and you just got jacked (Loffreda , 2000 ,

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Matthew Shepard 's death would reveal the fact that the battle for equality was far from over . Author Beth Loffreda , author of Losing Matt Shepard : Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder , wrote it would be a lie to say the murder summoned forth only expressions of sympathy and tolerance (Loffreda , 2000 ,

. 64 ) The author goes on to mention that a letter that was published in the Sun Star-Tribune after Matt 's death described the University student as an `unfortunate person ' who had `cheated disease ' by being murdered (Loffreda , 2000 br

. 64 ) The small Wyoming town 's prejudices ' did not stop within the limits of the local news , as local officials allowed protestors to picket Matt 's funeral - as long as they stayed 50 feet away from the family and friends in attendance . As his family attempted to put him to rest , Matthew 's funeral was described as political ' and some recalled the evening as an intense and wild night of protest and clashes with the police (Loffreda , 2000 ,

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The horrific events that led to the death of Matthew Shepard 's ultimately led to legislation imposing specific laws on those who commit hate crimes , the Matthew Shepard Act of 2007 (Shepard , 2006 ) Though it is obvious that more can be done to further the efforts of the LGBT Community , looking back to the 1940s the movement has been successful in obtaining equality and recognition in the United States . The real battle to be won is against the hatred of those who feel society should meet certain criteria to be labeled acceptable and , as history always repeats itself , persistence and perseverance are the answer . References

Berube , A (1990 . Coming out under fire the history of gay men and women in World War Two . New York : Free Press

D 'augelli , A . R Patterson , C (1995 . Lesbian , gay , and bisexual identities over the lifespan psychological perspectives . New York Oxford University Press

Loffreda , B (2000 . Losing Matt Shepherd life and politics in the aftermath of anti-gay murder . New York : Columbia University Press

Shepard , J (2006 . Matthew Shepard Foundation . Retrieved from http /www .matthewshepard .org /site /PageServer ?pagename Erase_Hate_Crimes _Legislation

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