50 Years After Stonewall, the LGBTQ Health Movement Embodies Empowerment, Expertise, and Energy

The Stonewall riots, led by queer people of color, in June 1969 unleashed a torrent of gay activism, and the arena of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) health grew from a tiny seed into an essential aspect of the emerging queer communities. The concept of LGBTQ health only began to emerge in the late ’70s through the formation of the National Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation in 1977, which later became the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association.

In the 50 years since Stonewall, health care providers and public health program planners now look at the health and social needs of gay and bisexual men in a holistic way rather than address only HIV disease. The underlying infrastructure to address the health issues of LGBTQ people continues to grow, fueled along the way by the Stonewall notions of empowerment and activism. As a result, the LGBTQ community is more prepared than ever to monitor and address its health challenges.

JSI’s Stewart Landers provides a retrospective on the LGBTQ health movement since 1969.