The gay rights movement is arguably one of the biggest social movements our country, and this world, has ever seen. On the American home front, the fight for gay rights has been active for ninety years, since the creation of the Society for Human Rights, the first gay-rights organization. In the 20th century, the movement garnered some significant accomplishments, but by the time the century came to a close, gay couples were still lacking something significant: the right to marriage. In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage to be between one man and one woman. Though the Democratic National Convention began to support the fight for gay rights in 1980, the act actually reflected the opinion of
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In November of that same year, eleven states passed amendments to their own constitutions that defined marriage between one man and one woman. Then, two years after that occurred, eight states proposed amendments out-right banning same sex marriages. Until people were advocating for marriage equality, and seeing success be made, these states did not think it was an issue to not have a ban on homosexual unions. However, the gay rights movement and its advocates had already ignited a chain of events, which included gay marriage being legalized in another 5 states and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell being repealed, an act that had previously allowed gays to serve in the military only if they don’t disclose their sexual orientation. After this course of events, President Barack Obama, in May of 2012 prior to his re-election, publicly announced his support for gay marriage on ABC News. After the Commander in Chief had said that he believed gay marriage should be legal, the social movement took off like it never had before. During the elections in November of 2012, three more states legalized gay marriage, and just another few months after that, the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by the United States Supreme Court. In their ruling, they declared that legally married same-sex couples should receive the same federal benefits that heterosexual married couples
In November of that same year, eleven states passed amendments to their own constitutions that defined marriage between one man and one woman. Then, two years after that occurred, eight states proposed amendments out-right banning same sex marriages. Until people were advocating for marriage equality, and seeing success be made, these states did not think it was an issue to not have a ban on homosexual unions. However, the gay rights movement and its advocates had already ignited a chain of events, which included gay marriage being legalized in another 5 states and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell being repealed, an act that had previously allowed gays to serve in the military only if they don’t disclose their sexual orientation. After this course of events, President Barack Obama, in May of 2012 prior to his re-election, publicly announced his support for gay marriage on ABC News. After the Commander in Chief had said that he believed gay marriage should be legal, the social movement took off like it never had before. During the elections in November of 2012, three more states legalized gay marriage, and just another few months after that, the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by the United States Supreme Court. In their ruling, they declared that legally married same-sex couples should receive the same federal benefits that heterosexual married couples