A groundbreaking volume surveying the contributions that gay and lesbian Americans have made to the democratic process.

A groundbreaking volume surveying the contributions that gay and lesbian Americans have made to the democratic process. In 1969, when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people first participated as a group in the political process, they faced an imposing array of obstacles. Everything from personal rejection and violence; state anti-sodomy laws; exclusion from the armed forces; and legal discrimination in employment, housing, credit, consumer service, and public accommodations. Nevertheless, by the end of the millennium, LGBT people had transformed themselves into a well-organized and begrudgingly respected political force. In the process, they dramatically changed laws and attitudes across the nation. This new volume tells the story of the rapid growth and remarkable successes of the LGBT movement—a record that makes it one of the most successful social movements in U.S. history and, ironically, the least studied.

"This work, ambitious in scope, fulfills the promise of its title . . . Extensive references for each chapter, an annotated bibliography, a dictionary of key people, laws, and terms, a resource directory, and a chronology make the book suitable for undergraduate libraries with strong LGBT or political science collections. It fits either circulating or reference collections of medium-sized or large academic libraries and is appropriate for large public libraries with LGBT communities." - Choice

"The book is well written and provides a great deal of useful information for those interested in the political aspects of gaining rights for LGBT individuals and groups. It is recommended for high school, college, and public libraries." - American Reference Books Annual