Over the past few decades, the fight for gay rights in the United States has taken many forms. Previously, homosexuality was considered immoral. Many people also considered it pathological because the American Psychiatric Association had classified it as a psychiatric disorder. As a result, many people remained “in the closet” because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being discriminated against in society. According to David Allyn, although most homosexuals can transition into the heterosexual world, they tend to live in fear and lies because they cannot turn to their families for support. At the same time, openly gay establishments were often closed to keep openly gay people under close surveillance (Allyn 146). But since the 1960s, people have dedicated themselves to the fight for gay liberation. Some have expressed their anger and concerns about prejudice against homosexuals, both through riots and artistic forms. Therefore, these people seek to prove to the heterosexual world that homosexual “deviance” was a myth. The media considers the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969 as the spark for the modern gay rights movement. This happened after police raided the Stonewall Bar, a popular gay bar in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. Allyn argues that the new energy and activism generated by the riot played a crucial role in creating the gay liberation movement. Arguably, the Stonewall riots feel like a pivotal moment in gay rights history, largely because they provided the gay community with ways to resist social norms. In fact, the riots raised public awareness of gay rights activism (Allyn 157). Gay life after the Stonewall riots, however, was just as varied and complex as before. In the following era, ho...... middle of paper ......010/12/fire-in-my-belly-1987-david-wojnarowicz-music-diamanda-galas.html>." A Day for this Child... (1990) | David Wojnarowicz. Queer Arts Resource: Gay art gallery and links to gay art websites. .“Untitled (Portrait of Ross in Los Angeles), 1991.” Queer cultural center. .“Untitled, (billboard installation), 1991.” Queer cultural center. .BOWERS V. HARDWICK, 478 US 186 :: Volume 478 :: 1986 :: Full text." United States Supreme Court cases from Justia & Oyez. .LAWRENCE V. TEXAS. 478 US 186 :: Volume 478 :: 1986 :: Full Text." United States Supreme Court Cases, Justia & Oyez. .