The movement of obtaining the rights to gay marriage has been seen across many countries. The ideology and the stereotypes set on LGBTQ are closely diminishing, leading to a more liberal point of view. The reason behind this increased support was explained by Sarah Jackson, an assistant professor in the College of Arts, Media, and Design in the Northeastern University.
According to Jackson, public visibility of the LGBTQ and the representation of pop culture has led to this enormous shift. This also includes an increase in the gay characters in media and channels. Shows like Ellen DeGeneres and Will and Grace showed the willingness of Americans who were ready to accept the other gender and put behind the orthodox stereotypes. This visibility also emphasised on the challenges LGBTQ Americans faced in the socio-political and educational scenario.
Among the many strategies involved, LGBTQ activists have adopted the mainstream agenda similar to the civil rights organisation and feminists. They have demanded rights to marriage as other straight people who already have this right. These can be called as one of the primary efforts taken to break the stereotypes behind LGBTQ culture.
There are also organisations like the GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and Human Rights Campaign which fight for bringing in the change required for the equal representations of gays. These movements accelerated and spread quickly due to advancements in technology.
Many social movements never end but evolve with certain developments in the law. In the case of Civil Rights, though Brown v. Board of Education was passed, there were many other problems still unsolved. However, victory is never easily won! All the movements in history have gone through multiple problems but their commitment towards their goal has made them reach success. Therefore, by passing a few judgements in favour of gay rights will not solve all the issues faced by LGBTQ Americans but will strengthen the movement’s infrastructure.
Akshara Palshetkar