ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the struggles of the gay and lesbian community to achieve equal rights in the United States. It discusses the contentious issue of gay marriage, which is at the heart of the struggle for gay rights. The chapter examines the current political and legal status of gay rights and gay marriage in the United States. The push for gay rights and the subsequent battles over public policies that establish or extend gay rights is a relatively new issue area in American politics. With the Supreme Court supporting state-sanctioned gay marriage, it would appear that the debate over homosexuals being allowed to marry is over. But new issues, such as rights for transgender people and new attempts in some states to pass legislation to limit gay rights in hiring and job security based on religious freedom, are now on the policy agenda and causing controversy.
