5 About “We the People” Introduction This “We the People” CIVIC (Connecting Individual Voices to Intersecting Concepts) Inquiry Kit expands the American Civil Rights Movement to include Gay Rights and the LGBT movement. It brings this story to life through archival audio oral history testimony from the Give Voice to History Project, which is produced in partnership with the Making Gay History podcast. In their own voices, trailblazers of the LGBT civil rights movement, including Perry Watkins, Morty Manford, Sylvia Rivera, and Ellen DeGeneres, explain how discriminatory laws, policies, and cultural practices led them to intentional or incidental activism. You will engage with primary and secondary sources that connect the Give Voice to History Project archival audio oral histories to ● the history of the evolving policy regarding homosexuals and military service; ● Gay Rights activism in New York City from the 1950s to 1980s; ● Gay Rights groups in New York City from the 1950s to 1980s; ● the cultural perception and representation of gay people in the media (film, television, and print). The activities in this CIVIC Inquiry Kit will help you contextualize the American Civil Rights Movement, analyze methods of challenging discrimina- tion, and explore the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexual orientation. The “Building a Nation” visual analysis assessment asks you to cite evidence to demonstrate your understanding of connections to the present and substantiate your interpretations through historical reference. Note: The language introduced in this CIVIC Inquiry Kit mirrors language in the primary and secondary source materials. Using historically accurate language is necessary to understand the social, political, and cultural perceptions of those we label and understand today as LGBTQ+ (including, but not limited to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer). “Gay Rights and the LGBT movement” is language used in the New York State Education Department Grade 11 Social Studies Scope and Sequence. Learning Outcomes You will demonstrate an understanding of Gay Rights and the LGBT movement and be able to ● evaluate and interpret connections between primary and secondary sources relating to Gay Rights and the LGBT movement; ● create meaningful and persuasive arguments connecting Gay Rights and the LGBT movement to the American Civil Rights Movement; ● define and cite evidence of de jure (in law) and de facto (in fact) discrimination; ● analyze and evaluate how individuals challenged laws, policies, and positions of power to strive for extensions of freedom, social justice, and human rights; ● cite primary and secondary source evidence and analysis to demonstrate understanding of connections to the present. Essential Questions ● Is there one America or many? ● Is the United States moving toward or away from its foundational ideals?