The 1980s era saw a major shift in society towards more modern global gay culture. However, there were still storms ahead for the battle of equality seen amongst gay rights. The catholic church continued their attack on the gays and legislation in places like the UK and US surely didn’t help. For example, the UK’s government added Section 28 to their Local Government Act that made it illegal for local authorities to support anything that promoted homosexual relationships as an alternative to a heterosexual “family life”. Furthermore, in 1986 Pope John Paul II labelled being gay as “evil” and ordered the Church to withdraw all support from gay Catholic organizations. Even the US army in 1982, declared that homosexuality was “incompatible with military service”. The 1980s, essentially, was a decade of sanctioned homophobia.
This era also marked the emergence of HIV and AIDS and the epidemic was commonly linked to gay men. The HIV epidemic has always been closely linked to the LGBTQ community. Because no one really knew anything about AIDS when it spread like wildfire in the 80s, many referred to it as the “gay plague” and many wanted this to lead to a ban on homosexuality. Sensational reporting in the press became increasingly homophobic and much of the media demonized the LGBTQ community. Many believed that AIDS was some form of punishment by God for homosexuals’ “sins”. Reverenced Jerry Falwell once argued that “AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals; it is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals”. Eric Jimenez-Lindmeier shares his experience growing up as a closeted teen in the 80s: “Being gay in the 80s meant being isolated from an identity. There was no discussion of homosexuality in school… not even in our year long “Health and Sexuality” class, even though we were in the middle of the AIDS crisis”. He recalls there being an extreme form of censorship during this time as “no men ever hugged, or held hands, or kissed on TV”. If they did, he claims that there would have been riots. Jimenez-Lindmeier shares more of his experience: “Worse yet, in the 80’s no one talked about actually being gay. Of course, there were rumors about others ― whispers here and there about a few of my classmates. One was picked on relentlessly for his “gay-sounding” voice, lack of sports abilities, and unwillingness to stand up to his bullies”.
In 1980 in the United States, Gay activists won support from the Democratic Party the party added to its platform a nondiscrimination clause that included sexual orientation. This support, along with the many LGBTQ activist campaigns, urged gay men and women to “come out of the closet” and enter the political field as candidates. The 1980s was also when National Coming Out Day was established and is now celebrated on October 11th. Barney Frank, a member of the US House of Representatives, from this had the courage (for the time) to come out while serving in Congress in the 1980s. Tammy Baldwin also became the first openly gay politician to be elected to both the US House of Representatives and the Senate.