正文 第21章 附錄(6)(2 / 3)

TherelativetoleranceofhomosexualityintheUnitedStatestodayisoftentakenforgranted,forinstance,butinfactitisarecenthistoricaldevelopment.Indeed,thedramaticgrowthintheopennessofgayAmericansandtheiracceptancebytheirfellowcitizensisoneofthemorestrikingdevelopmentsinAmericanhistoryinthelasthalf-century.Thisessayprovidesashortanalysisofsomeofthehistoricalchangesanddebatesthatresultedinthatopennessandacceptance,aswellasthecontinuingAmericandebatesoversame-sexmarriageandothergayissues.

Sincetheearlytwentiethcentury,mostmajorAmericancitieshavehadrestaurants,bars,cabarets,andothercommercialfacilitiesservingasmeetingplacesforlesbiansandgaymen,andgayAmericanshavealsoorganizedsocialclubs,dances,festivals,andotherevents.Sincethe1960stheyhaveorganizedanevenrichercommunallife,includinggaychoirs,sportsteams,theaters,bookstores,andsoforth.TheyhavebecomeasignificantpresenceinAmericanculture.

Whilethesocialorganizationofgaylifehaschangedovertime,theattitudesofotherAmericanstowardgaypeoplehavechangedevenmore.GaylifewasasubjectoffascinationformanyAmericansinthe1920s,aperiodofculturalexperimentationinmanypartsoftheworld.HeterosexualAmericansvisitedlesbian-runcafesandattendedhugedancesorganizedbygaymenandtransgenderpeopleinthelargercities.AlthoughAmericanshadvariedreactionstohomosexuals,theyoftensawthemintheirneighborhoods,inthemovies,andintheirplacesofemployment.

ButhostilitytowardgaypeoplegrewduringtheGreatDepressionofthe1930sandinthewakeoftheSecondWorldWar.Thisgrowinghostilityhadmanysources.ItresultedinpartfromthegrowingsocialinstabilityandsocialdisharmonycausedwhenmillionsofmenlosttheirjobsandtheirroleasfamilyprovidersduringtheDepressionandthenweretakenawayfromtheirfamiliesbymilitaryserviceduringtheSecondWorldWar.Bothdevelopmentsputfamilylifeunderspecialpressure.AtatimewhenmostpeoplestilldependedonthesupportoftheirfamiliestosurviveandAmericansocietydependedonfamiliestoprovidestability,manyAmericansbecamemorehostiletowardhomosexualsbecausetheyperceivedthemtobeisolatedindividualswhostoodoutsideofthefamilyandrejectedfamilialresponsibilities.Thebeliefthatgaypeoplehadanantagonisticrelationshiptothefamilyandcontributedtosocialdisharmonywasreinforcedbytheperceptionthatgaypeopledidnotconformtothegenderidealsofamasculinemanorfemininewoman,idealsthathadalsobeenputunderstressbytheDepressionandtheWar.