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.