Along with the second wave of feminism and with the Civil Rights Movement, the Summer of Love expanded the repertoire of possible selves available to the young adults (and some older adults) of that era. Among other things, the public was exposed to an expanded range of romantic possibilities, including same-sex relationships, cohabitation without marriage, and other non-traditional alternatives.
By Amanda Smith Barusch
I was 12 years old during the Summer of Love, with a pixie haircut, a best friend, and a horse that I rode in the hills. My parents, my brother, and I watched the 6 p.m. news on television. Flower children kissed and danced in the streets of San Francisco, while Walter Cronkite’s deep voice explained what it all meant. Five decades later, we still wonder what it all meant—and whether the Summer of Love changed anything. (Author’s personal reflections)