History of the LGBTQ+ Community's fight for rights

By Alice Sar

The history of the LGBTQ+ community is not a simple one, and the years of abuse, neglect, intolerance, and oppression are no light topic. However, it is important to recognize and acknowledge the important events, history, people, and more that have led us to where we are today. More specifically, the history of queer people fighting for their rights to love who they love and be who they are is especially critical to know, but most schools don’t have it in their curriculums and many, especially younger generations, don’t understand the history of the ongoing fight for rights. Especially now, when most people don’t have to put on some type of show for the outside world, they may have realized that they’re part of the LGBTQ+ community in one way or another. Learning about the history of something contributes to fighting for current rights worldwide, and more people need to be aware of that.

Although there have been LGBTQ+ people for centuries, the exact history for the fight for rights isn’t the most well documented and many historical figures were also prominent queer characters, but they weren’t recognized for it. Let’s begin in ancient times. In certain societies, it was actually quite common for people to be LGBTQ+, and was not considered taboo at all. However, due to colonization and western standards being imprinted into a lot of those societies, LGBTQ+ people were brutalized, abused, mocked, and discriminated against for centuries and still are. In fact, people still risk being imprisoned or put to death in over 70 countries for simply being themselves. However, the fight for rights has come a long way.

Same-sex marriage was illegal, for lack of a better term, for hundreds of years since governments and marriage became something people could benefit from monetarily in many different countries. However, in 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. This was a revolutionary step for LGBTQ+ equality and several other countries followed their example. The other 28 countries that have legalized same-sex marriage include Belgium in 2003, Spain and Canada in 2005, South Africa in 2006, Norway and Sweden in 2009, Argentina, Iceland, and Portugal in 2010, Denmark in 2012, France, New Zealand, Brazil, and Uruguay in 2013, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the United States in 2015, Colombia in 2016, Australia, Finland, Germany, and Malta in 2017, Austria, Ecuador, and Taiwan in 2019, and Costa Rica and all of the United Kingdom in 2020. Same-sex marriage is also legal in Mexico, but only under some jurisdictions. Although marriage equality is a great step in the right direction, it does not contribute to actual equality. Being able to marry does not automatically mean that the LGBTQ+ community is protected in other areas, such as in workplaces, in housing, and more.

As of 2016, only 5 countries have constitutional protections for LGBTQ+ people. Only a few countries have anti-discrimination laws for the LGBTQ+ community. However, there is progress being made. With the community continuously growing and fighting for their rights all over the world, pressuring government officials for equity and rights, the future is hopeful. Continue fighting for LGBTQ+ rights by supporting organizations dedicated to fighting for those rights, going into communities to tell people and educate others on the discrimination that LGBTQ+ people face, and more. You can always do something, and the power is in the people.