The call to the gay rights movement in America had every right to occur because it was and in some places still is a form against their civil rights. There have been huge amounts of permanent opinions and viewpoints on the idea regarding “marriage equality” or gay marriage. When the term “gay” was first mentioned in the 1920s and 1930s it was kept quiet until the first known organization called the Human Rights Society was founded based in Chicago. It was established in the form of a new idea presented to society and a huge threat to American cultural norms. Indeed, we have had to deal with different forms of civil rights movements, from segregation, to homosexuals having no rights and simply wanting nothing more than to change, so who are we to deny it. If I was suspected of any kind of act of homosexuality I was said to be a sexual pervert. It was a challenge to even present the idea that would actually make people aware of equality between everyone, and getting them to start thinking very differently was not going to be an easy situation to achieve. If considered homosexual in nature, it meant you were considered deviant, and it was a crime against nature. The 1950s and 1980s were known as the dark ages for lesbians and gays. They were tortured and considered mentally ill. Gay men were sentenced to mental institutions because they were deemed sexual psychopaths and were also subjected to imprisonment or even often sterilization, castration and lobotomy, which they believed would help cure a person of homosexuality or behaviors. (quote) Atascadero was the largest institution known for only one reason the Mental State......middle of paper......they have a huge boost in the economy where there is hardship. Marriage rates will increase because we are in a time where divorce rates are high in the heterosexual community or there are more single parents raising children. The reason many people seem to believe that same-sex marriage should not be legalized is because they feel that it is something that goes against the moral definition of marriage, which is between a man and a woman. They may also feel that this may destroy family values ​​that have been taught in society for centuries as traditions. Avery, Alison, et al. “Changing American Attitudes Toward Homosexuality, Civil Unions, and Same-Sex Marriage: 1977–2004.” Social Work 52.1 (2007): 71-79. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Network. December 1, 2013.Gash, A. (2013). Under the Gaydar. Washington Monthly, 45(5/6), 23-26.