Homosexuality and gay rights in the 2000s

Major political, social, and cultural developments related to the movement toward equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals

The first decade of the twenty-first century was a time of profound social and cultural progress for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people throughout the United States. In addition to gaining the right to marry in several states, GLBT individuals filled prominent roles in popular culture and were elected to political offices in defiance of the widespread prejudices that had been an obstacle in previous decades.

Throughout the 2000s, the movement toward equal rights for GLBT individuals became a significant facet of American politics, media, and culture. A number of major developments occurred during the decade, particularly in the area of same-sex marriage, though the GLBT community faced some setbacks as well.

Landmark Legislation

The decade began with landmark legislation by the Vermont state legislature with regard to the legal acknowledgement of same-sex couples. In 2000, Vermont became the first US state to recognize same-sex couples who joined in civil union. While the decision stopped short of specifically referring to same-sex unions as marriages, the law did declare that those in civil unions would be granted the same rights, privileges, and benefits as married spouses with regard to areas such as tax status and health care. New Jersey followed suit with similar legislation in 2006.

In November of 2003, the debate over same-sex marriage took center stage in Massachusetts when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that any legislation banning same-sex couples from marriage would violate the state constitution, as it would treat GLBT individuals as second-class citizens. The landmark ruling was made despite the vocal opposition of conservative religious groups as well as some politicians. Massachusetts marriage licenses began to be issued to same-sex couples in May of 2004.

By the end of the decade, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and the District of Columbia had followed Massachusetts’s example, though the same-sex marriages performed in those areas of the country remained unrecognized on the federal level. California legalized same-sex marriage in 2008; however, this legalization ended only months later when Proposition 8 amended the state constitution to prohibit non-heterosexual marriage.

In addition to the Goodridge ruling, the year 2003 included a landmark US Supreme Court ruling regarding sodomy laws in the United States. The court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas that state antisodomy laws were unconstitutional. In its decision, the high court decreed that all US citizens had a right to privacy and liberty concerning consensual intimate conduct.

Not all court rulings regarding GLBT rights during the 2000s found in favor of GLBT individuals or organizations. In 2000, a Supreme Court decision upheld the rights of all private organizations to set membership rules, in keeping with the right to freedom of association guaranteed by the First Amendment, thereby granting organizations the right to refuse entry to GLBT people. This ruling followed legislative action against the Boy Scouts of America, which in the wake of the ruling continued to deny membership to homosexuals.

Political Victories

During the 2000s, a number of openly GLBT individuals were elected to positions in state legislatures across the United States. More than 130 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender political candidates were on US ballots during the 2001–2 election cycle, a number that increased to more than 160 the following year. In 2000, Democrat Ed Flanagan of Vermont became the first openly gay man to be nominated as a major-party candidate for the United States Senate, while Vermont Republican Karen Kerin became the first transgender individual to be a major party nominee.

By 2007, issues important to GLBT citizens received national attention in the US political sphere. That year, the Human Rights Campaign sponsored the first US presidential forum focusing specifically on GLBT issues, extending invitations to each presidential candidate in every major American political party. While six Democratic presidential candidates opted to participate in the discussion, including future secretary of state Hillary Clinton and future president Barack Obama, all Republican candidates declined. The absence of Republican candidates symbolized a decade-long disconnect between the GLBT community and one of the United States’ most prominent political parties.

Popular Culture

Changing societal perceptions of GLBT individuals led to an increased visibility of GLBT-themed storylines and characters in American popular media. Cable television programs focusing on GLBT characters included Queer as Folk and The L Word, while the channel Logo, established in 2005, aired a variety of programming targeted toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender viewers.

No longer deemed overtly provocative by television audiences or critics, coming-out narratives were featured prominently in widely popular cable and network television shows throughout the 2000s, notably on shows such as ER, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Six Feet Under. The 2005 Ang Lee–directed film Brokeback Mountain, centered on the decades-long romantic relationship between two men, was nominated for eight Academy Awards including the award for best picture. The film has since been considered a watershed moment for the depiction of bisexuality in major American cinema.

Prominent GLBT musicians such as Ani DiFranco, Ricky Martin, Michael Stipe, Rufus Wainwright, Lady Gaga, and Kaki King all received widespread commercial and critical acclaim throughout the 2000s. The decade was also a pivotal time for GLBT athletes in both amateur and professional sports. Seven openly gay athletes participated in the 2000 summer games in Sydney, Australia, including US men’s diving team captain David Pichler. In addition, several retired American professional athletes, notably NFL player Esera Tuaolo, NBA player John Amaechi, WBNA player Sheryl Swoopes, and golfer Rosie Jones, publically came out as gay in the hope of laying the groundwork for widespread acceptance of future GLBT athletes in the major American sporting leagues.

Impact

By the early 2000s, landmark legal cases, medical and psychological discoveries, and widespread exposure in popular media had led to an increase in the acceptance of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgenderism in the United States. The significant contributions made by GLBT individuals across all spectrums of society throughout the decade would only help aid the continued integration and acceptance of all people in North American society, regardless of their race, sex, gender identity, creed, or sexual orientation, into the next decade.

Bibliography

Carlson, Darren. “Acceptance of Homosexuality: A Youth Movement.” Gallup. Gallup, 19 Feb. 2002. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Discusses the increasing acceptance of homosexuality among young people in the 2000s.

Fejes, Fred. Gay Rights and Moral Panic: The Origins of America’s Debate on Homosexuality. New York: Macmillan, 2008. Print. Chronicles the development of the gay rights movement in the United States, providing historical context for the events of the 2000s.

Snyder, R. Claire. Gay Marriage and Democracy: Equality for All. Lanham: Rowman, 2006. Print. Provides an overview of the issues surrounding same-sex marriage and argues that its legalization is consistent with the principles of democracy.

Stone, Amy L. Gay Rights at the Ballot Box. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2012. Print. Discusses the various anti-GLBT ballot initiatives that have hindered the gay rights movement in the United States and their effects.

“Timeline: Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement.” PBS.org. WGBH Educational Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Provides information about many of the key events in the gay rights movement in the United States.