More Rights...

Now that our reconstruction projects have been presented, I wanted to discuss something we talked about in class last week. But first, I want to tie in the reconstruction project: One problem that came up in almost everyone's project was the issue of Freedmen's rights. It took way too long for Blacks to have full rights in the United States even though amendments were passed that abolished slavery and gave the African Americans more rights. Since the end of the civil war, Blacks and then Women have gained equal rights in the US. So, now that everyone has equal rights, there won't be anymore protests, right?

The thing is, many people believe they don't have equal rights. In the past few years, a political topic that is constantly debated is Gay rights. For one, it has not been legal for a man to marry a man anywhere in the United States until the year 2004. (not to mention that gay marriage has only been legalized in one state.)


The country has made shifts from African American rights, to womens rights, and now protests for equal rights for gays. Why has our country only until NOW decided that equal rights for gays is something that should be discussed? This is a tough question, so if anyone thinks they might have an idea please post a response.

To see a brief history of gay rights movements in the US, this timeline is really helpful!

Also, if you have time, read this article that discusses the comparison of blacks, women, and gays. It is quite interesting to see how people react when these comparisons are made...