We’re looking over the beginnings of the LGBT Culture within North America.  

This Culture exists in different forms all over the world but this specific section takes place in the United States. And it started within the middle of the 60’s into the 70’s.

A symbol is an object that can represent many different things at once. For the LGBT culture, once of their earliest symbols was the double gender sign. Basically two intersecting gender signs like the two males or two females traditional signs conjoined in order to show and appreciate same sex love.

LGBT Culture is very similar to our everyday culture, thought they seemed to be more sensitive to how others are treated. For instance, this community is seemingly very accepting of others no matter what they identify as, and internal to be kind to others no matter what. 

Most of the mores and folkways that I can see are also focused on respecting others no matter how diverse or different they maybe while sharing the common belief that “we’re all the same on the inside.” But probably the most identifiable folkway is being open about your sexuality and who you’re with, which wasn’t a conversation the main stream was willing to have at this time.

Another common belief is that the LGBT and all the genders and sexualites that it entales should be accpected, respected, and considered just as much as heterosexual and cisgendered is in the mainstream as well as having equal rights and opportunities.

The Rainbow flag is example of the LGBT material culture. The flag was made for a gay pride march, It was made to represent togetherness and the diversity of every age, race and sexuality within this community as well as how they’re naturally beautiful like a rainbow. The original flag had eight and they all had they all their own unique meanings to the color choices. They then later change it to the now better know six color merely because of how expensive it became to reprint or recreate it later on.

The LGBT culture has very loose when it comes to rules. Since This culture is about spreading acceptance and goodwill towards those within LGBT and fighting for rights, a taboo would be going against this norm. I think they would most likely be shunned and looked down upon for being such a hateful and spiteful person perhaps. Since you should try to respect all and not just one selective group of people.

I think this would definitely count as a counterculture. This is because this culture was made as a response to the Stonewall riots and how america before then and up to that point had silently pushed and shoved them under the meteforaciole rug in order to act like they didn’t exist or belong anywhere with in mainstream society. They wanted this individuals to hide this part of themselves or pretend as if these people even exist, While the LGBT didn’t want this, they rebelled in a sense to the idea of shunning their sexuality.

The public of America seems to very highly value equality.  The United States Declaration of Independence has a the preamble saying ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…’ and since this document is the foundation of our current government, Americas as a whole tend to hold this specific value very highly. I would say this is a value that the LGBT culture also value and tries to to expand upon greatly since they want equal rights for everyone, not matter what.

 Thanks to this cultures continual efforts throughout the years, Gay marriage was legalized by the  supreme court in June 2015, and Same sex-marriage is legal within all 50 states as well as their issues now being more visible and well known to mainstream America. This I think wouldn’t be possible without one part Discovery and Diffusion. Since this culture has existed for quite a long time and fought for equality for so long, I think simply the fact that more Americans became more aware of this culture as well as, sharing this information as if it’s normal helped normalized this culture and it’s struggles to the previously unaware U.S. public. For instance, Stars like Ellen Degeneres coming out and being open to discussions about sexuality and Laverne Cox on gender really helped the public understand these issues or at least a better insight.

“Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Symbols.” Edited by Entire Contents, Lambda GLBT Community Services, Rovi Corporation, 2005.

Morgan , Thad. “How Did the Rainbow Flag Become an LGBT Symbol?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2 June 2017.

“Stonewall Riots.” Edited by History.com Editors, History.com, A&E Television Networks, 31 May 2017.