Judy Blume & The Battle Against Book Censorship
The New Right Movement
Conservative Activist Phyllis Schlafly campaigns against the Equal Rights Amendment in 1977. / Library of Congress, Public Domain
Goldie Hawn, CR Fashion Book
Rally for Homosexual Equality, Hulton Deutsch/Corbis, Getty
Gay Liberation Front 1970, New York Public Library
To debate against increasing liberal ideas and youth self-expression during the late 1900s, traditional Christian-American conservatives founded the New Right Movement to bring back traditional values.
"Through the use of moral imagery, the pro-family movement has linked the issues of feminism, gay and lesbian rights, and abortion as destructive to the family unit, and thus destructive to society."
~ Elizabeth Julia Reiley, The New Right
The New Right reintroduced conservative ideas to the public and censored liberal representation in books, films and other media.
STOP (Stop Taking Our Privileges) ERA campaign against equality, BBC
"Schlafly’s argument was that women’s rights were already protected under the Constitution and that the ERA would undermine the family, “the basic unit of society, which is ingrained in the laws and customs of our Judeo-Christian civilization”... She also later claimed the ERA would lead to coed bathrooms and the promotion of homosexual marriage."
~ "Phyllis Schlafly and the Debate over the Equal Rights Amendment," Bill of Rights Institute
"I Love America" (1980), Mark Foley
"Young people... have been born and reared in a different world than Americans of years past... I believe that Americans want to see this country come back to basics... back to biblical morality... We must stand against the Equal Rights Amendment, the feminist revolution, and the homosexual revolution. We must have a revival in this country. . ."
~ Jerry Falwell, speech "Listen America (1980)"
Jerry Farwell created the Moral Majority Inc (1979) to conservatize the general public by advocating about restoring Christian morality.
'Moral Majority and Its Allies Expect
Harvest of Votes for Conservatives', New York Times
Moral Majority Report, The Falwellian View
'A Look at the Moral Majority', The New York Times
Actions taken during the New Right Movement made Americans feel less confident in their identities, as it banned material such as books and films that supported topics such as sexuality, abortion and other subjects, believing they were threatening to society. Growing book bans were harmful to the public because they eliminated educational books and films and popular entertainment material.
"Get the dirty books out!" fundamentalist Christians protesting during the New Right Movement, saylordotorg
Ronald Reagen during the New Right Movement, nytimes
The New Right Movement continued promoting conservative ways throughout the late 1900s, and through this time, people became afraid of expressing ideas like puberty and gay rights through literature because of the fear of censorship.