ABSTRACT
Currently, the most polarizing issue in the United States regarding the gay and lesbian
community is gay marriage. The dominant agenda in the lesbian and gay (L/G) movement is
the fight for legal recognition of same-sex couples. The theme of gay marriage is presently
on the rise, with coverage of political demonstrations, weddings and commitment cere-
monies, and civil rights court proceedings. The most noteworthy illustration of the gay
marriage issue in popular culture is its importance in the 2005 US presidential election.
Alongside the September 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq, gay marriage, often dis-
guised as ‘‘family values,’’ stood as a key point of contention among most of the candidates.
But why now? Gays and lesbians have been challenging society and the courts for the right
to marry since the early 1970s. What is so unique about the current social climate that
marriage is the leading gay issue?
