The acceptance of “abnormal” sexualities has been a prolonged and controversial battle. The segregation is heartbreaking and the prejudicial comments are so spiteful that some people never truly recover. Homosexuals have been left to suffer for centuries. Life, for most homosexuals during the first half of the twentieth century, was mostly about hiding: having to constantly hide one's true feelings and tastes. Instead of restaurants and cinemas, they had to sit quietly in the dark and meet in hidden places like bars. Homosexuals were those with “mental and psychical anomalies” and were victims of medical prejudice, police harassment, and church condemnation (Jagose 24). The slightest mention or assumption of one's homosexuality could easily lead to the loss of one's family, livelihood and sometimes even one's life. It was only after the Stonewall riots and the organizing of gay/lesbian groups that times for homosexuals began to look brighter. In 1950, a homosexual man named Harry Hay and a group of homosexual activists decided that they were tired of being treated unequally just because of their sexual orientation (Mattachine Society Today 3). They founded the Mattachine Society where they could begin to take action and organize against this type of oppression. They wanted to give male homosexuals support and a sense of pride in being who they were. The main goals were to unify isolated homosexuals and encourage them to fight for their rights while providing a safe and social activity society (Mattachine Society Today 9). The group, however, was in difficulty: their conservative ways did not satisfy many. The problem was not in their efforts and intentions, but in the fact that their society was politically weak, ...... middle of paper ... American gay movement groups, it was the GLF that had the greatest impact after the riots. In the gay community, Stonewall has been associated with freedom, struggle and equality. It was a turning point in gay history and a turning point that literature often uses by separating before and after. Using Martin Luther King's nonviolent method of forcing integration, the Mattachine Society aimed to unite the gay scene and empower it. It served as an inspiration and the movement has only grown from their small beginning. Homosexuality went from being a forbidden topic that could rarely be mentioned in public to a common topic of debate among politicians, voters, and the media. While huge improvements have been made, the gay communities' battle is not yet won, and with more organizations forming and challenging norms, hopefully the journey won't be a long one.