The Lesbian and Gay Movements: Assimilation or Liberation?

Description

Throughout their relatively short history, lesbian and gay movements in the United States have endured searing conflicts over whether to embrace assimilationist or liberationist strategies. The Lesbian and Gay Movements explores this dilemma in both contemporary and historical contexts, describing the sources of these conflicts, to what extent the conflicts have been resolved, and how they might be resolved in future. Rimmerman also tackles the challenging issue of what constitutes movement effectiveness" and how effective" the assimilationist and liberationist strategies have been in three contentious policy arenas: the military ban, same-sex marriage, and AIDS. Considerable attention is devoted to how policy elites,presidents, federal and state legislatures, courts,have responded to the movements' grievances.Since the publication of the first edition in 2007, there have been enormous changes in the landscape of lesbian and gay movements and rights. The thoroughly revised second edition includes updated discussion of LGBT movements' undertakings in, as well the Obama administration's response to, AIDS/HIV policy, the fight to legalize same-sex marriage and overturn the defence of Marriage Act, and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Table of Contents......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 1. Introduction to the Core Dilemma......Page 16 2. The Assimilationist and Liberationist Strategies in Historical Context......Page 28 3. The Conflict over HIV/AIDS Policy......Page 48 4. Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Policy Perspectives on the Military Ban......Page 90 5. Jilted at the Altar: The Debate over Same-Sex Marriage......Page 126 6. The Movement's Futures......Page 166 Appendix I: AIDS Timeline......Page 194 Appendix 2: The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Law......Page 202 Appendix 3: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Christian Right Organizations......Page 206 Discussion Questions......Page 208 Glossary......Page 212 Notes......Page 218 References......Page 220 Index......Page 234