Gay Marriage Is The Last Drive For Gay - 2622 Words

Gay marriage has been a major social and political issue in America for the past decade. The gay rights movement was believed to have started after the Stonewall Riots in 1969. It has gained momentum over the past forty years to expand both gay rights and increase greater acceptance to homosexual relationships. This momentum inevitably resulted in a demand for the rights of gays to marry legally. Today, gay marriage is the last drive for gay rights. The history of the gay rights movement wasn’t as publicly known until the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The riots were a sequence of violent protests that were committed by the gay community. The Stonewall Riots are known as one of the most important events known to date that has lead to the gay†¦show more content†¦The riots started an entirely new outlook on gay rights. In San Francisco during 1978 Harvey Milk made a difference that would forever change the United States. Harvey was the first openly gay government worker that the United States had. He was elected city commissioner in 1970 and he served only 11 months in office. Before Harvey was assassinated he passed a bill that outlawed sexual orientation discrimination. Dan White was the man who assassinated Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone. Although Harvey Milk’s time in office was extremely short-lived he was one of the few people who wanted to publicly make a difference for other people who were just like him. The White Night Riots happened on May 21, 1979 in San Francisco. The riots were a series of violent events that happened because of the verdict of Dan Whites conviction. Dan White was the man the assassinated Mayor Moscone and Harvey White. White had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter, the lightest possible conviction over first-degree murder. It outraged the gay community so much that it set off the most violent reaction sine the Stonewall Riots. The gay community refused to apologize for their actions during White Night Riots. This increased the political power in the gay community. In November Dianne Feinstein was elected Mayor and she had made a promise to appoint a pro-gay Chief of Police. This increased recruitment of gay people in the police forced and