The Rights of homosexuals are discussed in many volumes
             of material readily available to the public; however, not
             many people choose to gain sufficient knowledge on the
             subject. Therefore, given the amount of materials and
             opportunity for individuality the subject of homosexuality
             seemed to be a prime choice for a paper. This paper will
             address the history of persecution that gays suffered under
             United States policies of the past, how they fought for the
             rights that they now have, and what rights they eventually
             Early US settlers believed that homosexuality was a
             terrible crime, a crime punishable by death. The earliest
             execution occurred in the year 1566 in St. Augustine
             Florida, when a Frenchman was executed by Spanish military
             authorities. Many such executions also occurred in colonial
             Virginia, Connecticut, & New York. 1
             At this time, Lesbians did not receive the death
             penalty, although they did receive some harsh treatment.
             However, in 1636 a proposal was made in the Massachusetts
             Bay colony, requesting that women homosexuals receive the
             same punishment as men, death.1 And in 1656 the New Haven
             colony in Connecticut passed a law requiring death for both
             gay men and lesbians. During the American Revolution there
             was a movement for punishment to be changed from execution.
             In 1777-1779 Thomas Jefferson and other liberal reformers
             argued that Virginia should use castration as a punishment
             Up until the early 20th century most homosexuals kept
             their preferences hidden. In rural areas, many gays felt
             alone or isolated, but in cities homosexuals interacted in
             an underground society. In the 1920s and 30s the speakeasy
             Many homosexuals tried to live in a separate lifestyle
             from that of heterosexual society. Homosexuals developed
             their own literature, including the, book Well of
             Loneliness, written by the British author Radclyff Hall.
             When the book was published in the U...