Much like the civil rights movement of the sixties, America is now faced with the up rise of civil hate crimes, as well as the discrimination against a very particular group of people. These people are those who choose a different sexual orientation or gender identity than the social norm of the country. When they go outside the social norm, they inadvertently invite tons of trouble into their lives.

Given the history of gay rights to date, one must unfortunately believe that complete equality with full gay civil rights will be a long time in coming. All the struggles of homosexuals are reflected in the battle they have been waging just to become families. Most states still do not recognize gay marriage as a binding legal contract. Although the individuals may be deeply in love and committed to one another, our society does not sanction their marriage as it would for a heterosexual couple.

Gay civil rights are an area of law that is improving. Many new laws have been instated to make sure that housing and employment opportunities do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. While this is a huge step forward for gay civil rights, it is not guaranteeing that gays are offered the same chances as those who are not gay. Many employers and the like have found ways around these laws, especially in the 'right to work' states.

Crimes against gays are declining, but this doesn't mean that they really are becoming less frequent. Because gay civil rights are still being worked out, many gays feel afraid or ashamed to report crimes that have been committed against them. This means that the overall statistic is incorrect, as many crimes are either not reported at all, or are reported as some other type of crime.

Perhaps the biggest opposition to the gay movement is the conservatives. These people are generally the ones who believe in the old way of doing things and are hesitant to change. These opponents are usually based heavily in some religion where gays are unnatural and hated for choosing to be gay. People are being killed for this line of thought daily.

Homosexual civil rights are becoming a prominent issue in the lives of many individuals. There is no reason for intolerance. Violence against an individual for reasons of sexual orientation is not acceptable. While prejudices will always exist, much can be learned from the past concerning acceptance and tolerance. When a bright light is shown on those doing wrong, it becomes much easier to eliminate such evil and those that responsible.

The history of gay rights shows us that it will be a long and tedious project to obtain total equality and equal gay civil rights. The battle that many of these people are fighting is seen in the war that gays have fought to simply be a family. Many areas still do not see gay marriage as a legal binding contract. Conservatives are probably the biggest opponents of the gay movement. Usually, Conservatives have staunch religious beliefs that fuel their anti-gay sentiment. It is important for people to start talking and communicating about what is going on. The world needs to know what it needs to stop.