When men came back from World War II women were forced out of their jobs. Many women making aircrafts were let go and told to go home to their place in their homes. Several other jobs began to follow the aircraft manufacturing business by firing women. There was a big media campaign to drive women back to the home and out of jobs. Televisions helped the redomestication of women. Women who wanted to stay in the workforce were criticized by their communities and public. “More Work for Mother, Ruth Schwartz Cowan wrote that psychiatrists, psychologists, and popular writers of the era critiqued women who wished to pursue a career, and even women who wished to have a job, referring to such "unlovely women" as "lost," "suffering from penis envy," "ridden with guilt complexes," or just plain "man-hating" (PBS, 1). Women often turned to work that wasn’t considered work like Tupperware. That way they could technically call it a party and not work while earning a little extra income to help out their household but still be home to fulfill their duties as a wife and mother. Women essentially were guilted back into their homes and were not given open public spaces to go to work. If they did they were poorly treated and not given the same opportunities as men. Women had to unite and fight against this way of life for equal jobs, equal pay, and equal rights. They had to stand up against the public and make a place for themselves in the world. These changes only occurred because women went against public and popular opinion to create changes that we see today.
The LGBT community was also not accepted by their community. The Harry Hay video was very eye opening. Homesexual back then was not a word or in the dictionary yet he stated in the video. It simply referred to men who were heterosexuals that were performing illegal and perverted acts. If caught in any of these acts they would be given six months jail time for the first offense; and the second act would be state prison where they would be cured of their perversions from either castration or lobotomy. They would publicly humiliate them in the newspaper if you did wrong. If in the paper the person would lose their job, their loans, and their life because they were publicly disgraced because they were gay. Because of many of these issues that the LGBT community faced, people started to stand up to fight for their rights. Harry Hay “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” (History Channel, 1). Early activists like Hayes paved ways for LGBT rights to this very day. Foundations were formed, newsletters helped spread the word, and some of our presidents over the years helped put laws in place to protect the LGBT community. It was not always easy; however, leaders who stepped up and fought diversity helped create the change we see in the world today. These people helped create a public acceptance, space, and protection for their people.
Work Cited:
“Gay Rights.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 15 Apr. 2025, www.history.com/articles/history-of-gay-rights.
“Harry Hay Interview.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 June 1996, .
“The 1950s and the Redomestication Effort.” YouTube, youtu.be/5YVU1XoGIvg. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
“Women and Work after World War II.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service,
www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperware-work/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
The LGBT community was also not accepted by their community. The Harry Hay video was very eye opening. Homesexual back then was not a word or in the dictionary yet he stated in the video. It simply referred to men who were heterosexuals that were performing illegal and perverted acts. If caught in any of these acts they would be given six months jail time for the first offense; and the second act would be state prison where they would be cured of their perversions from either castration or lobotomy. They would publicly humiliate them in the newspaper if you did wrong. If in the paper the person would lose their job, their loans, and their life because they were publicly disgraced because they were gay. Because of many of these issues that the LGBT community faced, people started to stand up to fight for their rights. Harry Hay “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” (History Channel, 1). Early activists like Hayes paved ways for LGBT rights to this very day. Foundations were formed, newsletters helped spread the word, and some of our presidents over the years helped put laws in place to protect the LGBT community. It was not always easy; however, leaders who stepped up and fought diversity helped create the change we see in the world today. These people helped create a public acceptance, space, and protection for their people.
Work Cited:
“Gay Rights.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 15 Apr. 2025, www.history.com/articles/history-of-gay-rights.
“Harry Hay Interview.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 June 1996, .
“The 1950s and the Redomestication Effort.” YouTube, youtu.be/5YVU1XoGIvg. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
“Women and Work after World War II.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service,
www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperware-work/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.