Date of Award

Fall 12-2011

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

History

First Advisor

Andrew Haley

Second Advisor

Heather Stur

Advisor Department

History

Abstract

This document is an examination of all the elements that made the social and cultural emergence of the gay community in New Orleans that I am going to term as the Gay Rights Movement. In addition to these I will examine the three events listed above and explain how each of these events and the subsequent responses from the gay community all constitute the city’s Gay Rights Movement. Furthermore I will examine how the gay community in New Orleans successfully and unsuccessfully established itself as a modern gay community in the wake of the Gay Rights Movement. In doing each of these, I intend to illustrate that the New Orleans gay community’s response was completely unique to both the South and the National gay communities. As opposed to focusing on developing a political voice, the New Orleans gay community focused on creating social spaces for itself that eventually grew into important traditions and events that are still practiced and celebrated in New Orleans today.

Share

COinS