Gay Marriage: From Stonewall to the Supreme Court

This book was written with the intention of being an in-depth, easy to understand guide to the vastly complex Gay Rights movement in the United States and globally. With the recent legalization of Same Sex Marriage in the United States, it is important to examine the process that led to the monumental decision made by the Supreme Court in 2015.

This book will examine how this progress developed. I will start by outlining several of the arguments that are given to condemn same-sex marriage, as well as homosexuality generally, to give context to the legal and cultural battles that took place. I will then give a snapshot of how things were for the gay community in the first half of the 20th century, providing examples from the military, from academia, and from the media of how homosexuals was generally treated as criminal and perverse, but how they were nonetheless becoming gradually recognized.

I will then describe the 1971 events of the Stonewall riots against police who tried to shut down a gay bar, events which served as a launching point for further gay activism, and unification of the gay community. Next, I will describe the tragedies of the AIDS crisis, and how they damaged both the hope and the reputation of the gay community. I will then outline the long push for marriage equality for the gay and lesbian population, culminating in the Supreme Court decision of June 26, 2015. I will conclude with a short list of facts that show that the fight for equal rights for the LGBT community is far from over.

Specifically this book includes the following chapters:

What’s At Stake? Attempts to Argue Against Gay Marriage: 7
1. Arguments against homosexuality generally: 9
2. Arguments that homosexual couples should not be allowed to marry even if homosexual sex is permitted: 14
3. Arguments claiming that same-sex marriage will have bad results: 19
History of Gay Marriage in the United States: 22
1. Early 20th Century: Homosexuality as a perversion: 22
2. Stonewall Riots: 27
3. The AIDS Crisis: 33
4. The Initial Push for Marriage: 44
5. The Defense of Marriage Act: 47
6. Increased Public Support: 52
7. Vermont and the Introduction of Civil Unions: 55
8. Massachusetts Recognizes Gay Marriage: 58
9. The Downfall of Doma: 61
10. To the United States Supreme Court: 70
11. Reaction to the Decision: 83
12. What’s next for the LGBT Movement? 89
Conclusion: 94