The gay liberation movement was an effort on the part of homosexual men and women to secure equal rights for themselves and to end the long history of abuse they had endured because of their sexual orientation. Gays and lesbians never fought for special rights; they simply wanted to be treated like everyone else is in the United States. When the movement gained momentum in the late 1960s, it joined a powerful chorus of voices from other groups, including women, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and others, fighting for equal rights.

For many decades, homosexual men and women had been outcasts in American society. They could reveal their sexual orientation, but they risked verbal and often physical abuse and social stigma. To avoid this, many had long remained "in the closet," hiding their true sexual identities from almost everyone, often including their parents, siblings...