Oneofthemostimportantpurposesofanti-discriminationlawistoensurethatprejudicedoesnotimpermissiblydisadvantagecertaingroupsinsociety.Byspecificallyprotectingthesegroupsunderthelaw，policymakersseektopromotesocialharmonyandalsoeconomicdevelopment.Manyofthemajoranti-discriminationlawsintheUnitedStateswereenactedunderCongress’spowertoregulateinterstatecommerce.Thus，theselawsarenotseenasprovidinganyunfairaddedbenefittominoritygroups，rathertheyareseenasnecessary“corrective”measurestofightdamagingprejudicesinsociety.
25.Whyshouldpeoplecareaboutgayissues？
Therearetwomajorreasonspeopleshouldcareaboutgayissues.First，becausetheyaregaymenandwomenallovertheworld，irrationalprejudiceagainstthemcanbeextremelydestructivetosociety.Prejudicepreventsthegaymenandwomenfromusingtheirtalentsintheworkplace，theclassroom，andthesportsfield，anditleadstoignoranceaboutandthespreadofdestructivediseaseliketheAIDSvirus.Acknowledginggaysandlesbiansandunderstandingtheissuestheyfaceisthebestwaytocombatthisirrationalprejudiceandpromoteharmonyinsociety.
Second，whethertheyknowitornot，nearlyeveryoneknowsandcaresforsomeonegay.Recognizingthatfactandacceptingthosepeoplewithanopenmindcanmakeatremendousdifferenceinthatperson’slifeastheystrugglewiththeirownidentityandtheunfortunateprejudicefromothersources.
Homosexuality，Family，andSociety：Historical
PerspectivesfromtheUnitedStates
ByGeorgeChauncey
Sexualityhasahistory，asmuchascities，nations，andfamiliesdo.Changeinsexuallifeisoneofthemostcharacteristicfeaturesofmodernity，and，historically，suchchangehastakenplaceespeciallyquicklyinsociallyandeconomicallydynamicsocietiessuchasChinaandtheUnitedStates.
TherelativetoleranceofhomosexualityintheUnitedStatestodayisoftentakenforgranted，forinstance，butinfactitisarecenthistoricaldevelopment.Indeed，thedramaticgrowthintheopennessofgayAmericansandtheiracceptancebytheirfellowcitizensisoneofthemorestrikingdevelopmentsinAmericanhistoryinthelasthalf-century.Thisessayprovidesashortanalysisofsomeofthehistoricalchangesanddebatesthatresultedinthatopennessandacceptance，aswellasthecontinuingAmericandebatesoversame-sexmarriageandothergayissues.
Sincetheearlytwentiethcentury，mostmajorAmericancitieshavehadrestaurants，bars，cabarets，andothercommercialfacilitiesservingasmeetingplacesforlesbiansandgaymen，andgayAmericanshavealsoorganizedsocialclubs，dances，festivals，andotherevents.Sincethe1960stheyhaveorganizedanevenrichercommunallife，includinggaychoirs，sportsteams，theaters，bookstores，andsoforth.TheyhavebecomeasignificantpresenceinAmericanculture.
Whilethesocialorganizationofgaylifehaschangedovertime，theattitudesofotherAmericanstowardgaypeoplehavechangedevenmore.GaylifewasasubjectoffascinationformanyAmericansinthe1920s，aperiodofculturalexperimentationinmanypartsoftheworld.HeterosexualAmericansvisitedlesbian-runcafesandattendedhugedancesorganizedbygaymenandtransgenderpeopleinthelargercities.AlthoughAmericanshadvariedreactionstohomosexuals，theyoftensawthemintheirneighborhoods，inthemovies，andintheirplacesofemployment.
ButhostilitytowardgaypeoplegrewduringtheGreatDepressionofthe1930sandinthewakeoftheSecondWorldWar.Thisgrowinghostilityhadmanysources.ItresultedinpartfromthegrowingsocialinstabilityandsocialdisharmonycausedwhenmillionsofmenlosttheirjobsandtheirroleasfamilyprovidersduringtheDepressionandthenweretakenawayfromtheirfamiliesbymilitaryserviceduringtheSecondWorldWar.Bothdevelopmentsputfamilylifeunderspecialpressure.AtatimewhenmostpeoplestilldependedonthesupportoftheirfamiliestosurviveandAmericansocietydependedonfamiliestoprovidestability，manyAmericansbecamemorehostiletowardhomosexualsbecausetheyperceivedthemtobeisolatedindividualswhostoodoutsideofthefamilyandrejectedfamilialresponsibilities.Thebeliefthatgaypeoplehadanantagonisticrelationshiptothefamilyandcontributedtosocialdisharmonywasreinforcedbytheperceptionthatgaypeopledidnotconformtothegenderidealsofamasculinemanorfemininewoman，idealsthathadalsobeenputunderstressbytheDepressionandtheWar.
GovernmentleadersbegantoattackgaypeopleasathreattoAmericansocietyandtoclaimthattheywereunreliableorevenuntrustworthy，especiallyascivilservants.In1950，acommitteeoftheUnitedStatesSenatecitedsuchreasonswhenitrecommendedthathomosexualsbebannedfromgovernmentemployment，civilianaswellasmilitary，andthousandsofgaypeopleandpeoplesuspectedofbeinggaylosttheirgovernmentjobsasaresult.Thegovernmentalsopassedlawsprohibitingrestaurants，bars，andcabaretsfromservinghomosexuals，andinmanycities，thepolicebeganarrestinglargenumbersofgaypeopleandshuttingdowntheplaceswheretheygathered.
Thenewwaveofdiscriminatorylawsandregulationsputgaypeopleinadifficultposition.Antigaygovernmentpoliciesforcedgaypeopletohidetheirhomosexualityinordertoprotecttheirlivelihoodsandsocialrespect，butthefactthattheyconcealedsomethingsoimportantaboutthemselvesmadethemseemsecretive，untrustworthy，anddangeroustooutsiders.