TherelativetoleranceofhomosexualityintheUnitedStatestodayisoftentakenforgranted，forinstance，butinfactitisarecenthistoricaldevelopment.Indeed，thedramaticgrowthintheopennessofgayAmericansandtheiracceptancebytheirfellowcitizensisoneofthemorestrikingdevelopmentsinAmericanhistoryinthelasthalf-century.Thisessayprovidesashortanalysisofsomeofthehistoricalchangesanddebatesthatresultedinthatopennessandacceptance，aswellasthecontinuingAmericandebatesoversame-sexmarriageandothergayissues.
Sincetheearlytwentiethcentury，mostmajorAmericancitieshavehadrestaurants，bars，cabarets，andothercommercialfacilitiesservingasmeetingplacesforlesbiansandgaymen，andgayAmericanshavealsoorganizedsocialclubs，dances，festivals，andotherevents.Sincethe1960stheyhaveorganizedanevenrichercommunallife，includinggaychoirs，sportsteams，theaters，bookstores，andsoforth.TheyhavebecomeasignificantpresenceinAmericanculture.
Whilethesocialorganizationofgaylifehaschangedovertime，theattitudesofotherAmericanstowardgaypeoplehavechangedevenmore.GaylifewasasubjectoffascinationformanyAmericansinthe1920s，aperiodofculturalexperimentationinmanypartsoftheworld.HeterosexualAmericansvisitedlesbian-runcafesandattendedhugedancesorganizedbygaymenandtransgenderpeopleinthelargercities.AlthoughAmericanshadvariedreactionstohomosexuals，theyoftensawthemintheirneighborhoods，inthemovies，andintheirplacesofemployment.
ButhostilitytowardgaypeoplegrewduringtheGreatDepressionofthe1930sandinthewakeoftheSecondWorldWar.Thisgrowinghostilityhadmanysources.ItresultedinpartfromthegrowingsocialinstabilityandsocialdisharmonycausedwhenmillionsofmenlosttheirjobsandtheirroleasfamilyprovidersduringtheDepressionandthenweretakenawayfromtheirfamiliesbymilitaryserviceduringtheSecondWorldWar.Bothdevelopmentsputfamilylifeunderspecialpressure.AtatimewhenmostpeoplestilldependedonthesupportoftheirfamiliestosurviveandAmericansocietydependedonfamiliestoprovidestability，manyAmericansbecamemorehostiletowardhomosexualsbecausetheyperceivedthemtobeisolatedindividualswhostoodoutsideofthefamilyandrejectedfamilialresponsibilities.Thebeliefthatgaypeoplehadanantagonisticrelationshiptothefamilyandcontributedtosocialdisharmonywasreinforcedbytheperceptionthatgaypeopledidnotconformtothegenderidealsofamasculinemanorfemininewoman，idealsthathadalsobeenputunderstressbytheDepressionandtheWar.