The call for the gay rights movement in America had every right to happen because it was, and in some places still is, a form violation of their civil rights. There have been a large number of opinions and prevailing opinions on the idea regarding “marriage equality” or gay marriage. When the term "gay" was first discussed in the 1920s and 1930s, it remained silent until the first known organization called the Society for Human Rights, based in Chicago, was founded. created. It was created as a new idea presented in society and a very big threat to American cultural norms. In fact, we have faced many different forms of civil rights movements, from segregation to gay people having no rights and just wanting nothing but change, so who are we to deny that. If you were suspected of any type of homosexual acts you were called a sexual pervert. It was a real challenge to present the idea that would make people aware of the equality of all people, and getting them to think very differently was not going to be an easy situation to achieve. If you were considered homosexual, that meant you were considered deviant, and that was an unnatural crime. The 1950s and 1980s were known as the dark ages of lesbians and gays. They were tortured and considered mentally ill. Gay men were sentenced to mental institutions because they were considered sexual psychopaths and were also subjected to imprisonment or often even sterilization, castration and lobotomies which they believed would help cure a person of his homosexuality or his behavior. (quote) Atascadero was the greatest institution known for one reason only, the Mental State...... middle of paper ......have a huge boost to the economy where there are difficulties. Marriage rates will increase because we are in an era where divorce rates are high in the heterosexual community or there are more single parents raising children. The reason why 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 tend to think that this can destroy the term of family values ​​that have been taught in society for centuries as traditions. Avery, Alison et al. "America's Changing Attitudes Toward Homosexuality, Civil Unions, and Same-Sex Marriage: 1977-2004." » Social Work 52.1 (2007): 71-79. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Internet. December 1, 2013. Gash, A. (2013). Under the Gaydar. Washington Monthly, 45(5/6), 23-26.