Did the development of the women’s movement and the gay rights movement weaken or strengthen the Civil Rights Movement?

It is possible to make arguments on either side of this question.  If you feel that this is a question where your instructor thinks that there is one correct answer, I suggest that you consult your textbook and/or your class notes to see which argument your instructor agrees with.  My own view is that the development of these new movements harmed the Civil Rights Movement more than they helped it.

Social movements like the three that you mention in this question can only succeed if they get people to pay attention to them.  The members of the social movement are people who are currently losing in their efforts to achieve their goals.  They are not strong enough to defeat their opponents on their own.  Therefore, they have to “broaden the scope of conflict” to get new people to be interested in this struggle.  If they can get more people interested, they then have to then get those people to take their side.  I would argue that both of these tasks became more difficult for the Civil Rights Movement when movements like the women’s and gay rights movements arose.

First, the presence of these movements made it harder for the Civil Rights Movement to get noticed.  When the Civil Rights Movement was the only major movement going, it was easy for it to get people to pay attention.  The media covered its protests and people noticed that the protests were going on.  As other movements entered the arena, this changed.  All of a sudden, the Civil Rights Movement had to compete for media attention with the other movements.  The media might have been more interested in covering other movements’ activities because those movements were newer and therefore more interesting than the Civil Rights Movement.  In this way, the new movements might have stolen public attention from the Civil Rights Movement.

Second, the presence of these other movements made it harder for the Civil Rights Movement to get people on its side when they did pay attention.  When the Civil Rights Movement was the only major movement, people looked at it specifically and were sympathetic.  As more and more movements started sprouting up, people started getting tired of all of them. They started to feel that America was devolving into a mass of groups that were all protesting and making trouble.  The presence of all of these other groups led to fatigue among the members of the public, making them less likely to support the Civil Rights Movement.

Now, it is possible to argue this the other way.  You can say that all of these movements reinforced one another’s messages.  They were all arguing that all people should be treated equally.  In that way, they all helped make Americans more open-minded and egalitarian.  I do not agree with this argument.  However, it is possible that your instructor does.  Please check to see which answer is the correct one according to your text and/or instructor.