ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of LGBT history

Okay kiddo, let's talk about the timeline of LGBT history!

A long time ago, people didn't really talk about being gay or lesbian or anything like that. But over time, more and more people started to realize that they felt different than what was considered "normal" by society.

In the 1960s, there was something called the "gay rights movement" which was a group of people who wanted to fight for equal rights for people who loved and identified differently than what was generally accepted. They held protests and rallies and fought for their rights to love who they wanted to love without being punished by the government or society.

In 1969, there was something called the Stonewall Riots in New York City. This was a time when police would often raid places where gay people hung out and arrest them for just being there. But at the Stonewall Inn, a bar where a lot of gay people went, the patrons fought back against the police and said that they wouldn't be taken away just for being themselves. This was a turning point in the gay rights movement and is often seen as the beginning of the fight for LGBT rights in the modern era.

Throughout the 1970s and beyond, people continued to fight for equal rights for LGBT people. They also worked to dispel some of the myths and stereotypes that had been perpetuated about gay people for a long time. For example, people used to think that being gay was a mental illness, but in the 1970s, the American Psychiatric Association came out and said that being gay was not a disorder.

In the 1980s, there was a lot of concern about the AIDS epidemic. This was a disease that affected a lot of gay people, and there was a lot of discrimination and stigma surrounding it. But people continued to fight for equal rights and worked to spread awareness about the disease and how it could be prevented.

In the 21st century, there have been a lot of gains for LGBT rights. Same-sex marriage is now legal in many countries around the world, and there are laws in place to protect people from discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. But there is still work to be done, and people are still fighting for even more equal rights and acceptance for LGBT people.

So there you go, kiddo! That's the timeline of LGBT history explained in a way that hopefully makes sense to you. Just remember that everyone should be treated with love and respect, no matter who they love or how they identify.