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Gay and lesbian organizations are generally of two types: those that deal more or less exclusively with gay and lesbian issues and caucuses, branches, or other subdivisions of larger non-gay-specific organizations. Prior to the 1970s, there were extremely few gay and lesbian organizations, but the number has steadily grown since the Stonewall riots of 1969, which sparked the modern gay rights movement. By the mid-1990s, gay and lesbian subgroups had been organized in most professions, universities, churches, and other large organizations, seeking to exert influence on their parent bodies on issues related to sexual orientation. In addition, numerous independent gay- and lesbian-specific organizations have also been created with cultural, political, or social aims.