The history of the gay rights movement has been a fierce battle in the United States. In fact, the first gay rights movement dates back to 1924 with the founding of the Society for Human Rights in Chicago, Illinois. It wasn't until the 1960s that gay rights began to advance. In 1969, the Stonewall Riots occurred when gay, lesbian, and transgender patrons of a New York City bar were raided by police. This forever changed the movement from isolated incidents to a global phenomenon. Over the generations, institutions such as the American Psychiatric Society began to classify homosexuality as an illness, which was later retracted in the 1970s and was no longer considered a mental disorder. At that time, many gay men decided to come out, a process by which people speak freely about their sexual orientation to family and friends. Then, in the 1980s, the gay community's new adversary came to the forefront of global debates. The AIDS crisis, which seemed to only affect the gay male population, paved the way for brutalizing words such as "queer" that were used to describe all sexual minorities. In the 1990s, the gay rights movement saw more victories thanks to the U.S. military's implementation of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This policy gave homosexuals the right to serve in the military. Then, in 2000, Vermont became the first state to allow same-sex civil unions (Pitas). The gay rights movement has made great progress in the United States, compared to previous generations, with the legalization of marriage in some states, and also the achievement of some equal rights. Nowadays, many people are accepting of homosexuals in society, and society in general is more ... middle of paper ... Deaths of spouses are not subject to state taxes. Marriage is a very important issue and is one of, if not the most held positions in the entire gay rights movement. Even though some states have legalized same-sex marriage, there is still a fight to be had for every state to accept it. Works cited by Dahir S. Mubarak. “Fired because he’s gay.” Homosexuality. Ed. David M. Haugen and Matthew J. Box. New York. Thomas Gale, 2006, 98-102. PrintFriedrichs, Ellen. "What's wrong with anti-gay bullying?". About.com.2010. Internet. March 17, 2010 Hartinger, Bret “An Argument for Gay Marriage” Homosexuality and Gay Rights.” Ed. Gary E. McCuen. Hudson, Wis. Gary E. McCuen Publications Inc, 1994. 102-106. printLandau, Eilene. Different drummer. New York. Julian Messner, 1986.printPitas, Jeannine. “History of the gay rights movement in the United States.” Lifeintheusa.com. 2000. Internet. March 17 2010