Week 4 Rough Draft

Merrissa Hicks

Walden University

12/23/2019

Introduction

The study of social movement reflects the social issues in different periods have faced. This work will focus on the Abolition Movement and the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) social movements. Social movements are a result of general public consensus towards dealing with major social issues in the community. 

I will discuss the historical background and ideals that supported the development of the Abolition Movement and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Social Movement. This is intended to show the correlation between their emergence and the key social issues that the community faced.

The Abolition movement 

The Abolition movement was jumpstarted with the effort of ending slavery in America. It held that all people are created equal, and hence the practice of slavery was unacceptable. This movement existed in the 19th century when many people started publicly displaying dissatisfaction for the slavery practices in the country. It placed more pressure on the authorities to outlaw slavery (Martos, Wilson & Meyer, 2017). It would allow for increased debate about segregation and discrimination.

Slaved men and women worked on large agricultural farms as maids. Their life was brutal; they were subject to severe punishments and strict racial rules and policies. With time they opposed slavery through daily acts like antislavery movements. The basis of this movement was that all men were created equal and hence, the effort to emancipate slaves (Martos, Wilson & Meyer, (2017). 

Abolitionists managed to integrate religion and moral movement, that focused on the acceptance that everyone was equal before the eyes of their creator and later on became political. Antislavery societies were formed by various churches to create awareness of evil effects of slavery (Lysack, 2012).  American Colonization Society (founded 1817) was first movement to abolishing slavery but was greatly opposed since it was seen as unfair to send Black Americans from their motherland to Africa.

The American Antislavery Society was founded in 1833 by prominent leaders, such as William Lloyd Garrison David Walker and Frederick Douglass (Black Abolitionist) strongly opposed slavery in their publications (Pepin-Neff & Wynter, 2019). These publications disputed against slavery as anti-social and immoral and repeatedly used illustrations of African -American literatures and other accomplishments to outline that the Africans and their offspring had ability to learn like Americans, if granted freedom.

The abolition movement was politicized. The Native American Party opposed slavery as well immigrants. Thus, other parties like Free Soil and Whigs did so. They merge together in 1856 leading to election of Abraham Lincoln as president in United States (Lysack, 2012). 

The abolitionists continued to pressurize the administration of Lincoln to terminate slavery. It took the 13th Amendment to lastly end involuntary enslavement in 1865. Even though the abolitionist movement never attained a truly great following. Garrison, Douglass and their team never gave on the issue of slavery and race thus creating to the tension which led to war.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Social Movement

The Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) social movement was initiated with the interest of providing the LGBT with same movements as heterosexual individuals in the society. (Lysack, 2012). This movement was started to end homophobic, trans-phobic and bi-phobic attitudes that prevented individual in this category to live comfortably in the society (Lysack, 2012). Notable successes of this movement are that it has managed to achieve legality of gay marriages (Lysack, 2012).

Regardless, this movement continues to have challenges, especially on the international front, where certain cultures fail to recognize these laws. For many generations, people categorized as LGBT were shunned and discriminated against. This movement intended to overcome these limitations set on the community members.

It was motivated by the need to end widespread homophobic, transphobic and biphobic attitudes in the American community (Lysack, 2012). LGBT people who create social movement to fight for their right. Currently, LGBT social movements are organized to include cultural activities.

Like research, street marches, social groups and art as well as politics, they celebrate their rights. They are proud for who they keep fighting for their rights. Their political aim is to change laws and policies to gain new rights, protection from harm and benefits (Pepin-Neff & Wynter, 2019). 

There is a rise of conflict within and between LGBT social actions, arguing who should be included in their movement and change of strategies (Lysack, 2012). There is discussion on what magnitude should gays, transgender, lesbians, bisexuals and intersex individuals are required to merge. 

Influential of the gay and lesbians’ movement initially wanted to hide manly lesbians, transgender persons, feminine gay males and bisexuals from publicity. This created internal separations within LGBT societies (Pepin-Neff & Wynter, 2019).  They have adopted politics which offer them freedom and see themselves as a minor group in the society. 

The relationship between the Abolition and LGBT Movements

The two movements are united by a long history of anti-slavery and marriage laws that did not favor the two minority groups. In essence, abolitionist’s success had an impact on other minority groups such as the LGBT community. Also, their successes emboldened their quest for more rights.

The win against discriminatory laws emboldened the abolitionists to seek for more discussion about the need to abolish laws that governed segregation (Lysack, 2012). Hence, the successes of the two movements inspired a devotion to a society free from all forms of discriminatio

Conclusion

The campaign movement continues to have challenges, especially on the international front, where certain cultures fail to recognize these laws. Each of these social movements has had an essential role in addressing human rights violations which is an aspect I would explore more in the final research process.

For many generations, people categorized as LGBT were shunned and discriminated against. This movement intended to overcome these limitations set on the community members. It was motivated by the need to end widespread homophobic, transphobic and biphobic attitudes in the American community (Lysack, 2012).

It is interesting to observe these roles that these social movements played in American history. It is especially interesting to know how each relates to the social issues that affected the American public at different times in the country’s history.

References

Lysack, M. (2012). The abolition of slavery movement as a moral movement: Ethical resources, spiritual roots, and strategies for social change. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 31(1-2), 150-171.

Martos, A. J., Wilson, P. A., & Meyer, I. H. (2017). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health services in the United States: Origins, evolution, and contemporary landscape. PloS one, 12(7), e0180544

Pepin-Neff, C., & Wynter, T. (2019). The Costs of Pride: Survey Results from LGBTQI Activists in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. Politics & Gender, 1-27.