"For most of American history, homosexuality has been highly stigmatized, treated variously as sinful, psychotic, or criminal. But since the 1960s extraordinary changes have occurred in the sociolegal position of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people. LGB people have moved from the margins to the mainstream of American society, and the struggle for LGB rights has become one of the defining civil rights battles of the new millennium. The rapidity of social change around gay rights has far outpaced that of any other recent social movement. The sociolegal position of transgender (T) people has likewise shifted during this period, although to a lesser extent" (Andersen 189).
"Same-sex marriage is generally defined as a marriage, recognized formally by a state or national government, between two men or two women. In the United States, marriage, whether conducted in a civil or religious ceremony, is regulated by state law; however, some incidents of marriage (e.g., federal income-tax benefits) are determined by the federal government" (Doig 1).
