Throughout history, people who have expressed attraction to others of the same sex have generally suffered a lot of mistreatment, discrimination and have often been considered as “sexual deviants”. Same-sex relationships have been present since the beginning of history. Their lives were not always easy, as they were persecuted and sometimes even forced to undergo psychiatric evaluation. At the same time, to obtain their rights and dignity, they had to fight through the legal system because, as George Chauncey, professor of history at Yale University, mentioned, "even though most people recognize that gay life was difficult before growing up. of the gay movement in the 1970s, they often have only a vague idea of ​​why: homosexuals were scorned and ridiculed, made to feel ashamed, afraid and alone” (290). However, discrimination and mistreatment are not the only reasons why gay people have had to take their fight to court. An American history professor from Yale University, who has testified in numerous gay rights cases, has exposed the ins and outs of the justice system in the second half of the 20th century. During this period, a large number of states had created laws allowing the indefinite detention of homosexuals in mental institutions and conditioning their release on proof that they were cured of homosexuality (Chauncey 294). This past history, along with studies carried out by some prestigious institutions, has led society to understand that the right to same-sex marriage is economically, ethically and morally correct, as it would benefit the economy and society by increasing the federal budget and creating a legal status. for homosexuals...... middle of paper ...... same-sex marriage has come a long way from its starting point, but it still needs to gain more support among the population in order to become a reality at nationally. QuotedBadgett, MV Lee. “The Economic Benefits of Same-Sex Marriage.” PBS. Mac Neil/Lehrer Productions, March 29, 2013. Web. December 3, 2013. Chauncey, George. “The Legacy of Antigay Discrimination.” Kennedy, Kennedy and Aaron 290-294. Hajela, Deepti. “New York Gay Marriage Benefits Lawyers and Advisors.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, July 26, 2011. Web. December 3, 2013Johnson, Ramon. “What They Don’t Tell You About Gay Adoption.” About.com Gay Life. About.com, and Web. December 3, 2013. Kennedy, XJ, Dorothy M. Kennedy and Jane E. Aaron, eds. The Bedford Reader. 11th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2012.Print.Pollitt, Katha. "What's Wrong With Gay Marriage?" » Kennedy, Kennedy and Aaron 570-572.