Public space has played a vital role in the rise of both the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements within the 1950s by serving as a foundation for visibility, community-building, and protest. During World War II, when millions of men were off fighting, therefore women took on jobs that had previously been considered “men’s work” and had entered public spaces in greater numbers. This shift challenged the traditional domestic roles assigned to women and demonstrated their ability to contribute equally to society. When the war ended, women were expected to return to the home, but many resisted this regression and began organizing publicly for equality and recognition, leading to the rise of the modern feminist movement. The LGBTQ+ community, which had long been forced to hide, began to slowly emerge in public spaces as well. Bars, parks, and community centers became gathering spots where queer individuals could express themselves, find others like them, and start to build a movement. These public interactions were essential in forming early LGBTQ+ organizations like the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis. President Eisenhower’s Executive Order 10450, which banned LGBTQ+ people from working in federal allowed for the communities to continue to resist oppression. The ability to gather in public also intersected with the broader civil rights movement, as seen in events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where marginalized groups used collective public action to demand change. In this way, public spaces were not just physical locations but also crucial tools for activism and transformation, enabling both the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements to gain momentum, form alliances, and begin reshaping American society.