Thelegalpersecutionofgaypeoplealsodisruptedsocialharmonybecauseithelpedfosterabroaderpatternofhostilitytowardthisminoritygroup.Manyprivateemployersfiredvaluableworkerssimplybecausetheydiscoveredtheyweregay.Somelandlordsrefusedtorentthemaplacetolive.And，thereweremanyactsofviolenceagainstlesbiansandgaymen.Perhapsmosttragicwasthewaythishostilityledtothealienationofgaypeoplefromtheirfamilies.Manyfamiliesrejectedtheirgaychildren.Othersacceptedthem，butonlysolongasthechildrenwerecarefulnottodiscusstheirhomosexualitywiththem，evenwheneveryoneknewaboutit.Mostgaypeoplekepttheirgaylifehiddenfromtheirparents，whichmeanttheycouldnotfullyparticipateinfamilylife，becausetheycouldnotincorporatetheirpartnersintofamilialbondsofmutualsupport，love，andrespect，orevenbringthemhometofamilydinnersorcelebrations.Manygaypeoplefeltsomuchsocialpressurethattheydecidedtopassasheterosexualandgetmarried.
Bythe1950s，then，gaypeoplewereportrayedasthreatstosocialharmonyandsubjectedtoconsiderablediscrimination.Thedramaticgrowthintheacceptanceofgaypeopleinthelastfiftyyearsisthereforeallthemoreremarkable.Mostofthediscriminatorypoliciesputinplacebetweenthe1930sand1950swereendedbetweenthe1960sand1990s，andmorepositiveideasaboutgaypeopledeveloped.Thegovernmentnolongermistrustsordiscriminatesagainstitsgayemployees，forinstance.Infact，sincethe1990sthefederalgovernmenthasforbiddenitsagenciesfromdiscriminatingagainstlesbiansandgaymeninemployment，andmanystategovernmentsnowprohibitdiscriminationinprivateemploymentandhousingaswell.Publicsupportforgaypeoplehasgrownsomuchinmanycitiesandregionsofthecountrythatvotershaveelectedopenlygaycandidatestooffice.Therearehundredsofopenlygayelectedofficialsincitygovernmentsandstatelegislaturesacrossthecountry，andatthehighestlevelofgovernmentthereareevenseveralopenlygayCongressmenandwomen.
Howdidthisdramaticchangeinthestatusofgaypeopletakeplace？Changesingaylifehavealwaysbeenlinkedtobroaderprocessesofsocialchange.Threechangesareespeciallyimportanttomentionhere.
First，thegrowingequalityofwomenandtheblackcivilrightsrevolutioninthe1950sand1960shaddirectconsequencesforgaypeople.ThepostwarstruggleofblackAmericanstoachievefullcitizenship，fullequality，andfullhumandignityhadaprofoundeffectoneveryaspectofAmericansocietyaftertheSecondWorldWar，anditaffectedeveryAmerican，includinggayAmericans.Byadvocatingtheequalityofracialminorities，theblackmovementledsomepeopletostartthinkingofgaypeopleasasexualminority，whichhadthesamerighttoequalityanddignitythatracialminoritiesdid.Inthecourts，manyofthelegalvictorieswonbyblackAmericansestablishedimportantlegalprecedentsforgaypeople.In2004，forinstance，whentheMassachusettsSupremeJudicialCourtoverturnedlawsthatprohibitedgaycouplesfromgettingmarried，itbaseditsdecisioninpartontheUnitedStatesSupremeCourtdecisionfortyyearsearlierthatoverturnedlawsprohibitingblackandwhitepeoplefromgettingmarried.Thecourtwasexplicitabouttheimportanceofthisprecedent，andreasonedthatsomeone’ssexualorientationshouldnotbarthemfromtherighttomarryanymorethanraceorskincolordid.
Second，andjustasimportant，theblackmovementandwomen’smovementinspiredagenerationoflesbiansandgaymentoseekequalityanddignityforthemselves.Theireffortstookmanyforms.Ultimately，perhapsthemostinfluentialwaygaypeoplechangedtheattitudesofheterosexualswasbyrefusingtohidetheirhomosexualityfromthemanymore.Thismarkedamajorbreakwiththecustomarypracticeofthepast，whenalmostallAmericanlesbiansandgaymenkepttheirhomosexualityasecretfromheterosexualsanddiscloseditonlytotheircircleofgayfriends.Itiseasytounderstandwhytheykepttheirhomosexualityhidden.Itwasanenormousriskforgaypeopletocomeouttoheterosexuals.Theyriskedlosingtheirjobsaswellastherespectandsupportoftheirfamiliesandfriends.Thedecisionofmanygaypeopletocomeouttoheterosexualsinthe1970sthereforeproducedahugedebateamongothergaypeopleaboutthewisdomoftakingsuchariskystep.
Butgrowingnumbersofgaypeopletookthisriskbecausetheyfoundittobeanunbearableaffronttotheirhumandignityandintegritytoconcealthisimportantpartoftheirlivesfromotherpeople.Theywerealsodeterminedtohavetheirgayrelationshipstreatedequallyandtoseethemrespectedinthesamewaythatamarriageorotherheterosexualrelationshipwouldbe.Asahistoricalmatter，theirdecisiontocomeoutwasreinforcedandeveninspiredbybroaderculturalchangesinideasabouttheboundarybetweenpublicandprivatelife，andtheemergenceofanewmoralityofpersonalhonestythatwasembracedbymanypeopleoftheirgeneration，notjustgaypeople.
By1985，oneinfourAmericanshadafriendoracquaintancewhohadtoldthemtheyweregay，althoughmorethanhalfofAmericansstillbelievedtheydidnotknowanyonegay.Overthenextfifteenyears，however，manymoregaypeoplestartedtalkingwiththeirheterosexualfriends，andbytheyear2000，fullythree-quartersofAmericansrealizedtheyknewsomeonegay.