Satvika Bejawar

Second Midterm Essay

ASTD 2700-L01

Ardizzone, Heidi

15 November 2021

Word Count:912
 The United States is a melting pot of various cultures that makes it a major influencer in

the world. However, marginalization of certain groups has led to a growing number of protests

that still continue to win justice today for issues such as race and gender. In the past, the Civil

Rights Movement, which focuses on desegregating the society, and the early feminist

movements that gained women the right to vote have propelled numerous discussions and

change regarding the roles of certain groups in society. But these were not the only movements

that needed to be addressed in the 20th century. Asian women, as people of color and a

discriminated gender group, have faced many challenges when it came to becoming successful in

the US. There was a rise in Asian American media and many women began to speak out about

their experiences. They were known as “third world women” and created a new meaning of

feminism from the early 20th century. Similarly, the Gay Liberation movement took place

around the same time in mid 20th century. Women and men began to protest for the freedom to

express their sexuality. However, it was received differently for women and men of different

races. Minority groups such as lesbian colored women faced the most challenges. The variety of

gender identities and the wide range of sexualities can be a challenging topic to accept for

different cultural groups. Feminism and the gay rights movement face a similar situation in

which the ability of their gender or identity was questioned or considered less than acceptable.

The feminist movement for color women helped launch the Gay Liberation movement, creating a

whole new meaning to racial and gender identities in the world today.

“Third World” Women in the US, or Asian American women, wrote many articles in the

1970s to express their role in society. Several women took this opportunity to gain leadership in

positions that they have previously been excluded from. They explained that Asian women are

stuck in a “limbo” because they are struggling to gain recognition in a racist nation and they live

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in a society that also discriminates against women.1 As a result, they feel closer to other third

world women compared to white women because of shared experiences. White women still get

to experience some form of privilege due to their race, but third world women’s chances of

success are lower than those of colored men.2 That is why empowering Asian American women

can create a major impact on how women are perceived in today’s world. The journal “Takin’ it

to the streets”3 explores the impact of colored female leaders who speak out against the

discrimination that still exists in their cultures, or in the professional world. Their personal

experiences create awareness of the problems faced by these women, which is what this journal

does.

Correspondingly, the LGBT+ community has faced similar challenges that have been

brought to our attention through powerful leaders and media that were inspired by the “Third

World” feminist movement. The early gay rights movements started with several incidents

against the LGBT+ community, for example, the Stonewall bar event. In 1969, police intruded a

gay bar in New York City. There were 3 nights of rioting, which is what prompted the start of

the Gay Right movement that is still ongoing today4. Certain events such as the Stonewall riots

can create a sense of unity amongst members of a group, like the gay people who came together

to protest against the police brutality. Because of their actions, homosexuality has become a

prominent part of American culture. Even though the LGBT+ community still faces backlash,

1 Gillon, Steven M., et al. “‘Takin' It to the Streets’: A Sixties Reader.” The Journal of American History,
vol. 83, no. 3, 1996, p. 1090., https://doi.org/10.2307/2945782.

2 Gillon, Steven M., et al. “‘Takin' It to the Streets’: A Sixties Reader.” The Journal of American History,
vol. 83, no. 3, 1996, p. 1090., https://doi.org/10.2307/2945782.

3 Gillon, Steven M., et al. “‘Takin' It to the Streets’: A Sixties Reader.” The Journal of American History,
vol. 83, no. 3, 1996, p. 1090., https://doi.org/10.2307/2945782.

4 Hut, Dan, et al. “After Stonewall.” Kanopy, uploaded by Dan Hut, 6 June 1999,
slu.kanopy.com/video/after-stonewall.

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society has become more accepting since the mid 20th century due to united groups that rebelled

for their social justice.

Homosexual justice movements and the feminist movements were connected in that they

had similar approaches to their issues, and that they both propelled the formation of activist

groups that supported both gay rights and feminism. In the previous century, many people

believed that homosexuality was a sign of mental illness or some other form of instability. Early

societies such as the Mattachine society formed to support homosexuality and other rights.

However, they weren’t very effective in their approach, so feminist groups started to speak out

against homophobic arguments. In class, there was a lecture of such groups like the Daughters of

Biltis, formed in the 1950s. The Daughters of Biltis focused on both homosexual rights and

gender equity, since both of them related to gender issues and discrimination.5 There is a blur

between the lines of gay rights and women’s rights, because both of these movements wanted the

same rights and supported one another during the 20th century. They both gained momentum in

the 1950s and 60s, inspired by the impact of the civil rights movement. The Asian-American

women’s rights faced challenges regarding both their racial status as Asians and their gender

identity as females that are considered subordinate to men. Similarly, certain groups in the gay

rights movement had to overcome multiple obstacles. Homosexual groups who are female and of

another racial origin other than Caucasian, they had to pursue justice facing the backlash of the

limits of their cultural values, the racisms within the US, and the fact that homosexuality was a

crime. Perhaps the familiar experiences of women and homosexuals within a nation that is racist,

sexist, and homophobic, has inspired these two marginalized groups to support one another

throughout the 20th century.

5 Ardizzone, Heidi. “Gay Rights Movements.” Zoom.com, Nov. 2021,

https://canvas.slu.edu/courses/8879/files/669509?module_item_id=361276

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