ThishadaprofoundeffectonthedebateovergayrightsintheUnitedStates.Gaypeople’scommitmenttoeducatingtheirrelativesandfriendsabouthomosexualityandtheirwillingnesstoconfrontthemabouttheirbigotryandmisconceptionsresultedincountlessmomentsofstruggleanddebateinfamilies，workplaces，andstudentdormitoriesacrossthecountry.Cumulatively，gaypeople’ssuccessinchangingtheattitudesofthepeopleclosesttothemplayedadecisiveroleinshiftingpublicopiniontowardsupportforgayrights.Surveysshowthatpeoplewhoknowgaypeoplearetwiceaslikelytosupporttheirequalityaspeoplewhodonotknowgaypeople.
Athirdmajorcauseoftheincreasingacceptanceofgaypeopleresulteddirectlyfromtheirgrowingopenness.Fiftyyearsago，onereasonmanyAmericansfearedhomosexualswasthattheybelievedgaypeoplestoodoutsideofthefamilyandthreateneditsstability.Gaypeople’sgrowingopennessledmanyheterosexualstolearnthattheirownsonsanddaughtersweregay，anditmadeallAmericansmorefamiliarwiththerealitiesofgaylife.Manyheterosexualshaverecognizedhowmanygaypeopleestablishstable，lovingrelationships，howmanygaycouplesareraisingchildren，andhowdeeplytheywanttoprovidesecurityandstabilitytotheirpartnersandchildren.
MostofthedebatesoverhomosexualityintheUnitedStatesinrecentyearshaveresultedfromgaypeople’squesttogainlegalrecognitionoftheirrelationships.Manygaycoupleshaveevenaskedfortherighttogetmarriedbecausetheywishtosecuretherights，benefits，stability，andprotectionsfortheirfamiliesthatmarriageandmarriagealoneconveys.Gaypeople’scampaigntowintherighttomarryandprotecttheirfamilieshasproducedamajordebateintheUnitedStates.Butfromahistoricalperspective，oneofthatdebate’smostimportantconsequencesisthatithasshownAmericanshowcommittedmanygaypeoplearetotheirfamilies.
Thegrowingrecognitionoftherightsofsexualaswellasracialminorities，thegrowingopennessofgaypeople，andthegrowingrecognitionthatgaypeopleareapartoffamilies，notathreattothem，hasresultedinadramaticgrowthinAmericansupportforgayequalityinthelast20years.Manymorefamilieshaveembracedtheirgaychildren；workersandstudentshavebecomemoresensitivetotheneedsoftheirgayfriends；andmostofthemajorcorporationsintheUnitedStateshaveinstitutedpoliciestoprohibitdiscriminationagainsttheirgayemployees.Mostmajorcorporationsalsonowtreattherelationshipsoftheirgayemployeeswithequalityanddignity，byprovidingthemwiththesamefinancialbenefitstheyprovideheterosexualmarriedcouples.Thischangehasrestoredharmonytomanyfamilies，schools，andworkplaces，byincreasingthehonestyandtrustbetweenpeopleandtheirabilitytoworktogetherforcommongoals.
TheplaceofgaypeopleinAmericansocietyremainsasubjectofdebate，especiallythequestionofgaymarriage.Butmanyofthemajorinstitutionsthatoncedemonizedgaypeople，includingthegovernment，themedia，andthemedicalprofession，nowsupportgaypeople.Incourtsoflaw，lawyersrepresentinggaypeopleusuallyhavethesupportofscientificauthorities，includingsocialworkers，familyexperts，andlegalscholars.
MostoftheremaininghostilitytogaypeopleintheUnitedStatesisinspiredbyconservativereligiousbeliefs，especiallyChristianfundamentalism.Infact，therecentdebateovergaymarriagereflectsamoreprofoundandwide-rangingdebate-ordivision-inAmericansocietybetweenpeopleholdingmodernscientificviewsofhumannatureandthoseholdingfundamentalistreligiousviews.Moderniststendtoexpresstoleranceforgaypeople，whilereligiousfundamentalistscontinuetoregardhomosexualbehaviorasasinandtoopposeitonareligiousbasis.ThecontinuinginfluenceofconservativereligiononAmericanpoliticsmakestheUnitedStatesalmostuniqueamongthemajorindustrializednations，andthisinfluenceisthemainreasontheUnitedStateshasbeenslowerthanmanyotherindustrializednations，suchasCanada，Belgium，Spain，andotherEuropeancountries，toextendmarriagerightsorothercivilprotectionstogaycouples.SouthAfrica’srecentdecisiontolegalizegaymarriagesreflectsthatcountry’srecognitionthattheembraceofgayrightsisthewaveofthefutureandcontributestosocialharmonyandstability.
AlthoughtherecontinuetobedebatesintheUnitedStatesovergayrights，asahistorianIammoststruckbyhowquicklypublicopinionintheUnitedStateshasshiftedinsupportoffullequalityanddignityofgaypeople.AsevensomeChristianfundamentalistsrealize，thetideofhistoryisrunninginfavorofgayequality.
WhyDiscriminationAgainstGayPeopleShould
BeaMatterofLegalConcern
BYWilliamN.Eskridge，Jr.
Lesbiansandgaymen（or“homosexuals，”womenandmenattractedtopersonsofthesameratherthandifferentsex）havebeenaprominentsocialpresenceinEuropeandNorthAmericasincethe1970s.ManyWesternershavefeelingsofhatredorprejudiceagainsthomosexuals.Certainreligionsteachthathomosexualityisimmoral，andsomeWesternreligionsteachanti-homosexualhatred.Othercitizensharborbeliefsabouthomosexualsthatarebaseduponunreasonablestereotypes.Forexample，Americanparentssometimesassumethathomosexualsaresex-crazedandmolestchildren.Anti-gayprejudiceandstereotypinghavebeenthebasisforagreatdealofsocialdiscriminationagainsthomosexuals，eventoday.