History of Suffrage

Prior to the Constitutional Convention, women in three colonies: Massachusetts, New

York, and New Hampshire had the right to vote. In 1807, women in New Jersey lost the right to

vote which was granted to them in 1797. While women had discussed equality and the right to

vote since the founding of the nation, the Suffrage Movement began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls

convention held July 19-20, in Seneca Falls, New York. The meeting was not the first in support

of women’s rights, but suffragists viewed it as the meeting that launched a national movement

and cause. For the next 70 years, suffrage supporters worked to educate the public and

lawmakers about the legitimate right of women to vote. Under the leadership of Susan B.

Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Sojurner Truth, Ida B. Wells, and other

women’s rights pioneers; suffragists circulated petitions and lobbied Congress to pass a

constitutional amendment to enfranchise women.

One powerful motivation for the growth of the movement was social reform, led in large

part by women. Since the late 18th century women were involved in reform movements such as

Jane Addams settlement house; the temperance movement, Margaret Sanger’s push for birth

control, Dorthea Dix and the reform of treatment of the mentally ill, and African American

leaders like Ida B. Wells, who helped found National Association for the Advancement of

Colored People (NAACP). They quickly discovered that politicians were unwilling to listen to a

group who had no legal voice through voting. Understanding that in order to achieve reform,

women needed the right to vote sparked a national movement for change and voting rights

In the 20th century leadership of the suffrage movement passed to two organizations:
 National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), under the leadership of

Carrie Chapman Catt, was a moderate organization. The NAWSA undertook campaigns to

enfranchise women in individual states, and simultaneously lobbied President Wilson and

Congress to pass a woman suffrage Constitutional Amendment. In the 1910s, NAWSA’s

membership numbered in the millions.

National Woman’s Party (NWP), under the leadership of Alice Paul, was a more militant

organization. The NWP undertook radical actions, including picketing the White House, in order

to convince Wilson and Congress to pass a woman suffrage amendment.

In 1920, 72 years after the Seneca Falls Convention, the 19th Amendment giving women

the right to vote was ratified by Congress. The victory is considered the most significant

achievement of women in the Progressive Era. It was the single largest extension of democratic

voting rights in our nation’s history, and it was achieved peacefully, through democratic

processes.

Women’s Liberation

Women’s rights movement, also called women’s liberation movement, diverse social

movement, largely based in the United States, that in the 1960s and ’70s sought equal rights and

opportunities and greater personal freedom for women. It coincided with and is recognized as

part of the “second wave” of feminism. While the first-wave feminism of the 19th and early 20th

centuries focused on women’s legal rights, especially the right to vote (see women’s suffrage),

the second-wave feminism of the women’s rights movement touched on every area of women’s

experience—including politics, work, the family, and sexuality. Organized activism by and on

behalf of women continued through the third and fourth waves of feminism from the mid-1990s
and the early 2010s, respectively. For more discussion of historical and contemporary feminisms

and the women’s movements they inspired, see feminism.

In the aftermath of World War II, the lives of women in developed countries changed

dramatically. Household technology eased the burdens of homemaking, life expectancies

increased dramatically, and the growth of the service sector opened up thousands of jobs not

dependent on physical strength. Despite these socioeconomic transformations, cultural attitudes

(especially concerning women’s work) and legal precedents still reinforced sexual inequalities.

An articulate account of the oppressive effects of prevailing notions of femininity appeared in Le

Deuxième Sexe (1949; The Second Sex), by the French writer and philosopher Simone de

Beauvoir. It became a worldwide best seller and raised feminist consciousness by stressing that

liberation for women was liberation for men too.

The first public indication that change was imminent came with women’s reaction to the

1963 publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique. Friedan spoke of the problem that

“lay buried, unspoken” in the mind of the suburban housewife: utter boredom and lack of

fulfillment. Women who had been told that they had it all—nice houses, lovely children,

responsible husbands—were deadened by domesticity, she said, and they were too socially

conditioned to recognize their own desperation. The Feminine Mystique was an immediate best

seller. Friedan had struck a chord.

Initially, women energized by Friedan’s book joined with government leaders and union

representatives who had been lobbying the federal government for equal pay and for protection

against employment discrimination. By June 1966 they had concluded that polite requests were

insufficient. They would need their own national pressure group—a women’s equivalent of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). With this, the National

Organization for Women (NOW) was born.

The organization was not an instant success. By the end of its second year, NOW had just

1,035 members and was racked by ideological divisions. When the group tried to write a Bill of

Rights for Women, it found consensus on six measures essential to ensuring women’s equality:

enforcement of laws banning employment discrimination; maternity leave rights; child-care

centers that could enable mothers to work; tax deductions for child-care expenses; equal and

unsegregated education; and equal job-training opportunities for poor women.

Sexual Discrimination

Discrimination is treating, or proposing to treat, someone unfavorably because of a

personal characteristic protected by the law. Sex discrimination involves treating someone (an

applicant or employee) unfavorably because of that person's sex.

AIDS

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening

condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune

system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight the organisms that cause disease.

It is a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, greatly lowering the

resistance to infection and malignancy

HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can also be spread by contact with

infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding. Without
medication, it may take years before HIV weakens your immune system to the point that you

have AIDS. When AIDS occurs, your immune system has been severely damaged. You'll be

more likely to develop opportunistic infections or opportunistic cancers — diseases that wouldn't

usually trouble a person with a healthy immune system.

The signs and symptoms of some of these infections may include:

- Soaking night sweats; Recurring fever; Chronic diarrhea; Persistent white spots or unusual

lesions on your tongue or in your mouth; Persistent, unexplained fatigue; Weight loss and Skin

rashes or bumps.

Types of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in History

1.) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

(AIDS)

AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is spread through

unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person or through using a contaminated needle to

inject drugs. It can also be spread through intravenous drug use and much less commonly, blood,

blood products, needles, or other sharp instruments contaminated with infected body fluids or

blood.

Upon entering the circulation, the HIV microorganisms abduct a type of white blood cell

known as T-helper lymphocytes (also known as CD4 cells, T cells or helper-Ts). In a person with

a healthy immune system, T-cells band together to help defend the body against diseases. But the

hijacked T-cells are forced to mass-produce copies of HIV. Left untreated, helper T cells mass
produce large numbers of HIV, this further depletes the number of normal helper-Ts in the blood

stream, rendering the individual vulnerable to AIDS defining illness.

2.) Chlamydia

Chlamydia, the most prevalent bacterial STI in the United States, is the result of the

Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium, which can infect the urethra (bladder opening) and cervix

(uterus opening). It is common in youngsters aged fifteen to nineteen. The disease is easily

treated, but like other sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia tends to be silent and therefore

go undiagnosed until it becomes more serious than in its early stages. Three in four women and

one in two men have no symptoms. In 40 percent of cases, by the time a girl seeks medical

attention, the disease has progressed to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID, described below), a

major cause of female infertility and pelvic pain.

3.) Gonorrhea

Chlamydia infection is sometimes confused with gonorrhea, another bacterial infection

transmitted through vaginal and anal intercourse, and oral sex. Not only do they share many of

the same symptoms, the two diseases can occur together.

Gonorrhea usually begins in the urethra (bladder opening) or the cervix. However, the

rapidly proliferating Neisseria gonorrhoea bacterium can migrate to the uterus and the fallopian

tubes, giving rise to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The infection, like chlamydia, may also

involve the rectum.

4.) Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs. It

usually occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from your vagina to your uterus,

fallopian tubes or ovaries. It often causes no signs or symptoms. As a result, you might not

realize you have the condition and get needed treatment. The condition might be detected later if

you have trouble getting pregnant or if you develop chronic pelvic pain

Sexually active girls aged fifteen to nineteen are the most vulnerable population, partly because

they are more likely than other age groups to have multiple sex partners.

5.) Genital Warts and Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Genital warts are soft growths that appear on the genitals. They’re a sexually transmitted

infection (STI) caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Genital warts can

cause pain, discomfort, and itching.

HPV is the most common of all STIs. Men and women who are sexually active are

vulnerable to complications of HPV, including genital warts. HPV infection is especially

dangerous for women because some types of HPV can also cause cancer of the cervix and vulva.

According to the National Institute of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, almost half the

women harboring the virus exhibit no symptoms at all. Genital warts typically appear in clusters

inside and outside the vagina, the cervix and/or the anus. Male venereal warts, which are far less

common, form on the penis, the scrotum and/or around the anus. The pinkish or flesh-colored

growths often vanish on their own. The interventions for genital warts differ from those for other
STIs. Most cases can be managed with topical treatment of the warts, though the lesions tend to

return. Large warts may have to be removed using one of several surgical procedures:

cryosurgery (freezing), electrocautery (burning) or laser surgery.

6.) Genital Herpes (HSV-1, HSV-2)

Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex

virus (HSV). Sexual contact is the primary way that the virus spreads. After the initial infection,

the virus lies dormant in your body and can reactivate several times a year.

Genital herpes can cause pain, itching and sores in your genital area. But you may have no signs

or symptoms of genital herpes. If infected, you can be contagious even if you have no visible

sores. There's no cure for genital herpes, but medications can ease symptoms and reduce the risk

of infecting others. Condoms also can help prevent the spread of a genital herpes infection.

There are two types of herpes simplex viruses, the highly contagious virus that causes

genital herpes. “Herpes simplex 2 usually occurs on or around the vagina, the penis, the anus or

on the buttocks and thighs,” says Dr. Fisher, “whereas herpes simplex type 1 generally causes

cold sores around the outside of the mouth, or blisters on the gums or in the throat.” However,

HSV-1 sometimes infects the genital-anal area, while both types can be transmitted to the mouth

via oral sex.

7.) Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection usually spread by sexual contact. The disease starts as a

painless sore — typically on your genitals, rectum or mouth. Syphilis spreads from person to
person via skin or mucous membrane contact with these sores. After the initial infection, the

syphilis bacteria can remain inactive (dormant) in your body for decades before becoming active

again. Early syphilis can be cured, sometimes with a single shot (injection) of penicillin. Without

treatment, syphilis can severely damage your heart, brain or other organs, and can be life-

threatening. Syphilis can also be passed from mothers to unborn children.

Physicians divide the course of the disease into three stages: primary (stage 1),

secondary (stage 2) and tertiary (stage 3). The first evidence of syphilis is a hard, round open

sore known as a chancre (pronounced “shan-ker”) in the genital area.

Primary syphilis

The first sign of syphilis is a small sore, called a chancre (SHANG-kur). The sore appears

at the spot where the bacteria entered your body. While most people infected with syphilis

develop only one chancre, some people develop several of them.

The chancre usually develops about three weeks after exposure. Many people who have syphilis

don't notice the chancre because it's usually painless, and it may be hidden within the vagina or

rectum. The chancre will heal on its own within three to six weeks.

Secondary syphilis

Within a few weeks of the original chancre healing, you may experience a rash that

begins on your trunk but eventually covers your entire body — even the palms of your hands and

the soles of your feet. This rash is usually not itchy and may be accompanied by wartlike sores in

your mouth or genital area. Some people also experience hair loss, muscle aches, a fever, a sore
throat and swollen lymph nodes. These signs and symptoms may disappear within a few weeks

or repeatedly come and go for as long as a year.

Latent syphilis

If you aren't treated for syphilis, the disease moves from the secondary stage to the

hidden (latent) stage, when you have no symptoms. The latent stage can last for years. Signs and

symptoms may never return, or the disease may progress to the third (tertiary) stage.

Tertiary syphilis

About 15% to 30% of people infected with syphilis who don't get treatment will develop

complications known as late (tertiary) syphilis. In the late stage, the disease may damage your

brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints. These problems may occur many

years after the original, untreated infection.

Neurosyphilis

At any stage, syphilis can spread and, among other damage, cause damage to the brain

and nervous system (neurosyphilis) and the eye (ocular syphilis).

Congenital syphilis

Babies born to women who have syphilis can become infected through the placenta or

during birth. Most newborns with congenital syphilis have no symptoms, although some

experience a rash on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. Later signs and

symptoms may include deafness, teeth deformities and saddle nose — where the bridge of the
nose collapses. However, babies born with syphilis can also be born too early, be born dead

(stillborn) or die after birth.

8.) Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis (or “trich”) is a very common sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is

caused by infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Although symptoms

of the disease vary, most people who have the parasite cannot tell they are infected. According to

the CDC Trusted Source, less than one-third of people with trich develop symptoms.

When symptoms do develop, they may include:

- discharge from the vagina or penis; burning or itching around the vagina or penis; pain or

discomfort during urination or sex; frequent urination

In women, trich-related discharge often has an unpleasant or “fishy” smell. If left untreated, trich

can lead to:

- infections of the urethra; pelvic inflammatory disease; infertility

9.) Other STDs which are less common includes:

 Chancroid

 Lymphogranuloma venereum

 Granuloma inguinale

 Molluscum contagiosum

 Scabies
Gender

- is a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with a given sex; it is

generally considered to be a socially constructed concept.

- either of the two sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference

to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. The term is also used

more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established

ideas of male and female.

- "a condition that affects people of both genders"

- The sociocultural phenomenon of the division of people into various categories

according to their biological sex, with each having associated roles, clothing,

stereotypes, etc.; those with male sex characteristics are perceived as “boys” and

“men,” while those with female sex characteristics are perceived as “girls” and

“women.”

Sexuality

“Human sexuality” refers to people’s sexual interest in and attraction to others, as well as

their capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. People’s sexual orientation is their

emotional and sexual attraction to particular sexes or genders, which often shapes their sexuality.

Sexuality may be experienced and expressed in a variety of ways, including thoughts, fantasies,

desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, practices, roles, and relationships. These may

manifest themselves in biological, physical, emotional, social, or spiritual aspects. The biological

and physical aspects of sexuality largely concern the human reproductive functions, including

the human sexual-response cycle and the basic biological drive that exists in all species.

Emotional aspects of sexuality include bonds between individuals that are expressed through
profound feelings or physical manifestations of love, trust, and care. Social aspects deal with the

effects of human society on one’s sexuality, while spirituality concerns an individual’s spiritual

connection with others through sexuality. Sexuality also impacts and is impacted by cultural,

political, legal, philosophical, moral, ethical, and religious aspects of life.

Queer

It is an umbrella term that can be used by anyone under the LGBTQ spectrum. Queer

conveys both an orientation and a sense of community.

Community aspect states, ‘Because we’re all different, we can celebrate our differences. I

can accept you for who you are, and there’s power in numbers ome folks who fall somewhere in

the middle of the sexual orientation spectrum will describe themselves as queer rather than

bisexual (attraction to both your own gender and genders other than your own) or pansexual

(attraction regardless of gender). Others will use both and introduce themselves as “bisexual and

queer,” for instance. The term queer is also used by those whose gender does not fall on the

binary.

Bisexual

- Possessing characters of both sexes and especially both male and female reproductive

structure

- relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to both men and women

- relating to, or involving both sexes

Transgender

- denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not

correspond with their birth sex

- people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned

sex

Harvey Milk

Born May 22, 1930, Woodmere, Long Island, New York, U.S.—died Nov. 27, 1978, San

Francisco, California. He is an American politician and gay-rights activist. First openly gay

elected official in the history of California, where he was elected to the San Francisco Board of

Supervisors. He was the most pro-LGBT politician in the United States at the time, politics and

activism were not his early interests; he was neither open about his sexuality nor civically active

until he was 40, after his experiences in the counterculture movement of the 1960s.

After graduating from the New York State College for Teachers in Albany (1951), Milk

served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and was discharged in 1955 (Milk later said that

he was dishonourably discharged due to his homosexuality, but military records do not support

this claim). He held several jobs before becoming a financial analyst in New York. In 1972 he

moved to San Francisco, where he opened a camera store and soon gained a following as a leader

in the gay community. His popularity grew when he challenged the city’s gay leadership, which

he thought was too conservative in its attempts to gain greater political rights for homosexuals.

In 1973 Milk ran for a seat on the city’s Board of Supervisors but was defeated. After

another unsuccessful bid in 1976, he was elected in 1977, becoming one of the first openly gay

elected officials in U.S. history. The following year Milk and the city’s mayor, George Moscone,
were shot and killed in City Hall by Dan White, a conservative former city supervisor. At

White’s murder trial, his attorneys successfully argued that his judgment had been impaired by a

prolonged period of clinical depression, one symptom of which was the former health

enthusiast’s consumption of junk food. The attorneys’ argument, mischaracterized as the claim

that junk food had caused White’s diminished capacity, was derided as the “Twinkie defense” by

the satirist Paul Krassner while reporting on the trial for the San Francisco Bay Guardian. In

2009 Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Liberace

Liberace (full name - Władziu Valentino Liberace) was an American pianist, entertainer

and actor. He is best remembered for reinventing classical piano music and presenting them to

his audiences through his larger than life concerts. Liberace’s father was a French horn player

who encouraged music at home. Liberace was a child prodigy and by the age of four, he could

play almost any tune on the piano. When he embarked on his musical career he developed a

trademark style of mixing classical piano tune with contemporary melody. His signature style

was placing a candelabrum over his custom made piano.

In 1952, the television program ‘The Liberace Show’ launched him into musical stardom.

Within a couple of years, the show became immensely popular and was broadcasted globally in

20 foreign countries. The huge success of ‘The Liberace Show’ heightened his record sales. By

1954, he had sold over 400,000 albums. His biggest hit single, ‘Ave Maria’ sold over 300,000

copies. The albums featured his trademark music of classical piano tastefully mixed with popular

music.
 He was homosexual and was quite secretive about it in order to maintain his large female

fan base. On 22 November 1963, he suffered a near fatal renal failure by accidentally breathing

in dry cleaning fumes. In August 1985, his private doctor detected him to be HIV positive. Only

his family and close associates were made aware of his medical condition. For the rest of the

world, it remained a secret till his death. On 4 February 1987, he died of pneumonia resulting

from AIDS, at his home in Palm Springs, California.

Freddie Mercury

A British singer, songwriter, record producer, and lead vocalist of the rock band Queen.

Regarded as one of the greatest lead singers in the history of rock music, he was known for his

flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Best known as one of the rock world's

most versatile and engaging performers and for his mock operatic masterpiece, "Bohemian

Rhapsody." Singer-songwriter and musician whose music reached the top of U.S. and British

charts in the 1970s and 1980s. As the frontman of Queen, Mercury was one of the most talented

and innovative singers of the rock era. Born Farrokh Bulsara in Tanzania, Mercury studied piano

in boarding school in India, then befriended numerous musicians at London's Ealing College of

Art. Mercury died of AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia on November 24, 1991, at age 45.

Mercury wrote numerous hits for Queen, including "Killer Queen", "Bohemian

Rhapsody", "Somebody to Love", "We Are the Champions", "Don't Stop Me Now", and "Crazy

Little Thing Called Love". He also led a solo career and served as a producer and guest musician

for other artists. Mercury died in 1991 at age 45 due to complications from AIDS. He confirmed

the day before his death that he had contracted the disease, having been diagnosed in 1987. In

1992, a tribute concert was held at Wembley Stadium.

 As a member of Queen, Mercury was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall

of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in

2004. In 1990, he and the other Queen members were awarded the Brit Award for Outstanding

Contribution to British Music, and one year after his death Mercury was awarded it individually.

In 2005, Queen were awarded an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the

British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. In 2002, Mercury ranked number 58

in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.

Rock Hudson

Noted for his exceptional good looks and comedic film performance, Rock Hudson was

an iconic actor who, later in life, contracted and died from the AIDS virus.

Born on November 17, 1925, in Winnetka, Illinois, Rock Hudson began his career as a

heartthrob, recognized widely for his good looks.

Critics acknowledged his acting talent in Giant (1956), which also starred heavy-hitters

Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. He co-starred with Doris Day in many hit films, including

Pillow Talk (1959), Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964). In 1984, Hudson

was diagnosed with AIDS. The following year, he became one of the first celebrities to disclose

both his homosexuality and AIDS diagnosis. Hudson was the first major celebrity to die from an

AIDS-related illness, on October 2, 1985, at age 59, in Beverly Hills, California.

In 1944, Rock Hudson joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Philippines. Shortly after

his discharge in 1946, he decided to move to Hollywood, California, to pursue an acting career.

While he found work as a truck driver, most of his free time was spent hanging around the
studios and handing out headshots to studio executives. It's not surprising that people soon began

to take notice of the aspiring actor, with his good looks and charm.

A gay man, Hudson was not outward about his homosexuality due to the social stigma

surrounding the topic at the time; he feared that publicly discussing it would be negative for his

career. His marriage lasted for only three years. Throughout his career, Rock Hudson's public

image remained untarnished, but his private life was somewhat torturous. He had a number of

homosexual lovers, but continued to keep his sexuality a secret. In June 1984, Hudson went to

visit a doctor about an irritation on his neck. The irritation turned out to be a lesion and a sign of

Kaposi sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that affects AIDS patients. Rock Hudson was diagnosed with

AIDS on June 5, 1984. A year later, on Jul 25, 1985, he publicly announced that he was suffering

from the disease — becoming one of the first celebrities to do so, as well as one of the first to

disclose his homosexuality. His openness was a catalyst for public awareness of the worldwide

epidemic. Hudson spent the remainder of his life surrounded by friends and family. He died from

AIDS-related complications on October 2, 1985, at the age of 59, in Beverly Hills, California. He

was the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness. Today, Rock Hudson is

remembered not only for his legacy as a talented screen actor, but for his courageous choice to

go public about his AIDS diagnosis.