>> THE HISTORY OF GAYS AND LESBIANS IN AMERICA HAS BEEN LARGELY HIDDEN, LOVE EXPRESSED IN SECRET, LIVES TOO OFTEN LIVED IN THE SHADOWS.
FOR GENERATIONS TO BE GAY MEANT BEING FORESAKEN BY FAMILY, FIRED BY EMPLOYERS, EVEN RISKING ARREST OR FORCED HOSPITALIZATION.
GAY LIFE AND GAY LOVE HOWEVER FOUND A WAY IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY GAY PEOPLE CREATED THEIR OWN FAMILIES OF FRIENDS AND LOVERS, THEIR OWN SOCIETY AND CULTURE WHICH THRIVED.
THE NOTION OF EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS HOWEVER SEEMED LIKE A DREAM.
IN 1965, A MAN FIRED FROM HIS GOVERNMENT JOB BECAUSE HE WAS GAY ALONG WITH FELLOW ACTIVIST JACK NICHOLS PICKETED THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE OBSTACLES AHEAD WERE CLEAR.
>> WE DISCOVERED THAT AMERICANS KID KID HOMOSEXUALITY MORE HARMFUL THAN ADULTERY, OR PROSTITUTION.
>> A TURNING POINT, AFTER DECADES OF BEING TARGETED BY POLICE, SOME ARREST FORD GATHERING TOGETHER.
PATRONS IN THE STONEWALL IN NEW YORK'S GREENWICH VILLAGE FOUGHT BACK.
AND A NEW ERA OF ACTIVISM WAS BORN.
WITH INCREASED VISIBILITY CAME BITTER PUSHBACK.
>> A LIFESTYLE THAT IS BOTH PERVERSE AND DANGEROUS.
>> SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES WHO SOUGHT TO BAN GAYS AND LESBIANS FROM WORKING IN SCHOOLS FOUND THEMSELVES DOING BATTLE WITH GRASSROOTS ACTIVIST LIKE HARVEY MILK.
>> THERE ARE 15 MILLION LESBIANS AND GAY MEN! >> WHILE SOME STIGMA SLOWLY WANED, IN 1973, THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED BEING GAY WAS NOT A MENTAL DISORDER.
ANOTHER BATTLE WAS JUST BEGINNING.
IN 1981, A MYSTERIOUS DISEASE BEGAN KILLING OTHERWISE HEALTHY GAY MEN.
>> THIS LETHAL EPIDEMIC SWEEPING OUT OF CONTROL THROUGH THE HOMOSEXUAL ENCLAVES OF AMERICA HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A PROPAGANDA PLOY IN OUR OPINION BY HOMOSEXUAL SYMPATHIZERS.
>> EARLY IN THE AIDS CRISIS, THEY CAST BLAME AND LED GAYS AND LESBIANS TO CARE FOR EACH OTHER.
GAYS LIKE GAY MEN'S HEALTH CRISIS AND ACT UP WERE FIRMED TO HELP THE SICK AND PUSH FOR BETTER TREATMENTS.
>> I STARTED TO LOOK AROUND AND IN DESPERATION FOR WAYS THAT I COULD FIND TREATMENTS TO HELP SAVE OUR LIVES AND THERE WAS NOTHING COMING OUT OF OUR GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS.
>> MORE THAN 650,000 AMERICANS HAVE DIED OF AID SO FAR.
NEW MEDICINES WHICH BECAME AVAILABLEN THE MID 90s HAVE TURNED HIV INTO A MANAGEABLE CONDITION.
IN 1994, HOPES THAT DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT MIGHT USHER IN A NEW WAVE OF EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAY AND LESBIAN AMERICANS WERE DASHED WHEN PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNED DON'T ASK DON'T TELL INTO LAW PREVENTING GAYS AND LESBIANS FROM SERVING OPENLY IN THE MILITARY.
IT WASN'T UNTIL 2003 IN THE LANDMARK SUPREME COURT CASE, LAWRENCE V.
TEXAS THAT LAWS CRIMINALIZING SEX BETWEEN GAY PEOPLE WERE RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
AND ONCE AN UNTHINKABLE GOAL, LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BEGAN TO SEEM POSSIBLE.
IT HAPPENED FIRST IN MASSACHUSETTS IN 2004.
♪ HERE COMES THE BRIDE ♪ ♪ SO GAY WITH PRIDE ♪ >> OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS, 36 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WOULD EVENTUALLY FOLLOW.
DESPITE YEARS OF POLITICAL AND LEGAL CHALLENGES BY EQUAL RIGHTS OPPONENTS.
IN 2010, DON'T ASK DON'T TELL WAS FINALLY REPEALED BY CONGRESS AND IN 2013, THE SUPREME COURT AND THE UNITED STATES V.
WINDSOR THREW OUT THE SO-CALLED DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT GRANTING FEDERAL RECOGNITION TO MARRIED SAME-SEX COUPLES BUT ONLY IF THEY LIVED IN A STATE WHERE IT IS LEGAL.
AND THAT RULING SET THE STAGE.
Source: Youtube
