Did people discuss being gay in the 1980s

The s were a challenging decade for LGBTQ people. While there were increasing levels of visibility and the seeds of future progress, the community was beset by the AIDS crisis, widespread discrimination, and political backlash. The s era saw a major shift in society towards more modern global gay culture. However, there were still storms ahead for the battle of equality seen amongst gay rights. The s left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

The decade’s struggles underscored the need for solidarity, advocacy, and education, while its victories demonstrated the power of resilience and activism.

Gay men in the 80s

As the new decade dawned, ushering in the s' generation of greed and power, men who had sex with each other, at least some of the time, began getting sick. Eventually so did straight. Being gay in the 80s meant being isolated from an identity. There was no discussion of homosexuality in school not even in our year long “Health and Sexuality” class, even though we were in the middle of the AIDS crisis.

It was okay to make fun and laugh at their expense. What I observed was that no men ever hugged, or held hands, or kissed on TV. NEW: Games. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. For this reason, repeated attempts to block, regulate, and censor programming throughout the ssand s were challenged by cable access producers and civil liberties organizations.

Thank you again for your support along the way. Matthew de Ville Admin says:.

Gratefully, our content archive will live on under the umbrella of Truthout. Just searching for a sign… a smile… a wink… even one of those head nods that the cool guys did as we passed in the hallway. By that time, I had two marriages and four beautiful children trapped in that closet with me. It was exhausting. The s era saw a major shift in society towards more modern global gay culture.

For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. It took almost two decades for me to come out of that mind trap. Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times.

As A Gay Man, The '80s Crippled My Identity | HuffPost Voices

Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article by taking these easy steps. I internalized the teachings of the 80s… the stereotypes of who is gay and what that meant… and it pushed me into that safe closet that numbs you and protects you. The longer it grew, the further I stepped back from that mountain.

Any thoughts? Log In Search. Please do not post personal information. Sign up for HuffPost's Morning Email. The half-hour program focused on lesbian activism, community issues, art and film, news, health, sports, and culture. Furthermore, even among the world of gay men, there are divisions regarding race or color. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners.

Scripted soap operas, like Secret Passionsstarred amateur gay actors.