The homophile community and the law

Through publishing magazines and newsletters, fighting sodomy and other discriminatory laws, and unifying homosexual individuals living in America's urban centers, the homophile activists set the stage for the movement's second wave, of more identity‐based and militant Lesbian and Gay activism that emerged in the late s. The homophile movement has received a good deal of attention by historians, especially since John D'Emilio wrote about it in his groundbreaking book, Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities. However, many historical discussions of the homophile movement have downplayed the significance and successes of homophile organizations.