I have decided to use the Lavender Scare (1950-1960s), the Stonewall Riots (1969), and gender laws being debated in today’s era (2020-present).
For the Lavender Scare, my artifacts will be Executive Order 10450, signed by President Eisenhower. It marked the beginning of the Lavender Scare by issuing an investigation into all federal employees on whether they posed a “security risk.”
Another artifact for this time period will be this newspaper clippings of propaganda against the gay community:
For the final artifact of this time period, there is an interview with one of the victims of the time period and the effect the paranoia had on the community in general. It is by NPR: The Lavender Scare : Throughline : NPR
For the Stonewall Riots my first artifact will be the clothing laws that prohibited cross-dressing (requiring 3 articles of clothing that match your assigned sex in order to avoid arrest).
For my second artifact, the written account of the night from Martin Sherman’s “A Hot Night” or the newspaper READ The 1969 NY Daily News Piece on the Stonewall Riots – “Homo Nest Raided, Queen Bees Stinging Mad” (back2stonewall.com) from the time.
My last artifact will be images from the riots themselves to show the violence shown towards the community.
For present day I will be using the 19 states that have laws banning gender affirming care 19 states have laws restricting gender-affirming care, some with the possibility of a felony charge | CNN Politics. The laws themselves will be my artifacts.
For my second artifact it will be an advertisement Is This The First ANTI-WOKE Advert? Watch Promo Wins Plaudits For Standing Up For Women’s Rights – YouTube. The official title is “Erase.”
And finally, a podcast by Candace Owens, specifically this one Is Homosexuality Ruining Western Civilization? – YouTube.
Overall, my turning points tie into LGBTQ+ with government and how that effects the public perceptions and opinions on the community.
I think that you have chosen very effective artifacts to support your turning points, and I look forward to learning more about the Lavender Scare and Stonewall Riot time periods, for although I am a passionate ally, I feel that my knowledge is lacking in the area of LGBTQ+ history. I also like how you chose a variety of artifacts, for this is a hot topic that is discussed in many outlets.
I think the artifacts do a great job of supporting your turning points. I think the photos are very effective because of the facial expressions shown. It conveys passion, while also displaying the effects inequality had. I think people can relate and better understand the depth of the problem through photos and art.