The 1950s in the United States were a pivotal yet challenging period for the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements, characterized by both intense societal constraints and the strategic utilization of public spaces for community building and the early stages of organization. The post-World War II era witnessed a strong push to reinstate traditional patriarchal structures, compelling women back to domestic roles after their significant contributions to the wartime workforce. Simultaneously, the LGBTQ+ community faced increased persecution, notably through policies aimed at removing queer individuals from government employment. Despite these restrictive pressures, the decade saw the initial groundwork for both movements laid within evolving public spheres.
The feminist sentiment of the 1950s was indirectly shaped by women's wartime experiences in public life. As stated in Women and work after world war 2, "During the Second World War, women proved that they could do 'men's' work, and do it well." This temporary shift challenged gender roles and offered women a taste of participation beyond the domestic sphere. The subsequent expectation to return home created an underlying tension and a desire for continued public engagement. While the full force of the "second wave" was yet to come, the experiences and frustrations of women navigating these conflicting pressures in both public and private realms subtly began to influence social discourse, setting the stage for future organized public action.
For the LGBTQ+ movement, the 1950s marked a critical phase of early community formation within public spaces, often conducted with necessary discretion. The American psychological association notes, "In the United States, there were few attempts to create advocacy groups supporting gay and lesbian relationships until after World War II. However, prewar gay life flourished in urban centers such as New York’s Greenwich Village and Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s."(gay rights). This indicates that while formal advocacy was limited, informal public spaces in urban centers provided crucial environments for LGBTQ+ individuals to connect and forge a sense of identity. The post-war crackdown underscored the urgency for community and organization, even if initially covert.
Finally, the emergence of early homophile organizations like the Mattachine Society, represented a significant step towards public organization. As the reading describes: "In 1950, Harry Hay founded the Mattachine Foundation, one of the nation’s first gay rights group...Though it started off small, the foundation, which sought to improve the lives of gay men through discussion groups and related activities, expanded after founding member Dale Jennings was arrested in 1952 for solicitation and then later set free due to a deadlocked jury." (Gay rights). This illustrates how the Mattachine Society, while modest in its beginnings, used public organization and activism, spurred by events like Jennings' arrest, to begin challenging the societal and legal restrictions.
Source:
American Experience. PBS. “Women and Work After World War II.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperware-work/
History. “Gay Rights.” June 28, 2017.
https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-gay-rights
Morris, Bonnie J. American psychological association. July 21, 2017.“A brief history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements”.
https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/history