Thelegalpersecutionofgaypeoplealsodisruptedsocialharmonybecauseithelpedfosterabroaderpatternofhostilitytowardthisminoritygroup.Manyprivateemployersfiredvaluableworkerssimplybecausetheydiscoveredtheyweregay.Somelandlordsrefusedtorentthemaplacetolive.And，thereweremanyactsofviolenceagainstlesbiansandgaymen.Perhapsmosttragicwasthewaythishostilityledtothealienationofgaypeoplefromtheirfamilies.Manyfamiliesrejectedtheirgaychildren.Othersacceptedthem，butonlysolongasthechildrenwerecarefulnottodiscusstheirhomosexualitywiththem，evenwheneveryoneknewaboutit.Mostgaypeoplekepttheirgaylifehiddenfromtheirparents，whichmeanttheycouldnotfullyparticipateinfamilylife，becausetheycouldnotincorporatetheirpartnersintofamilialbondsofmutualsupport，love，andrespect，orevenbringthemhometofamilydinnersorcelebrations.Manygaypeoplefeltsomuchsocialpressurethattheydecidedtopassasheterosexualandgetmarried.
Bythe1950s，then，gaypeoplewereportrayedasthreatstosocialharmonyandsubjectedtoconsiderablediscrimination.Thedramaticgrowthintheacceptanceofgaypeopleinthelastfiftyyearsisthereforeallthemoreremarkable.Mostofthediscriminatorypoliciesputinplacebetweenthe1930sand1950swereendedbetweenthe1960sand1990s，andmorepositiveideasaboutgaypeopledeveloped.Thegovernmentnolongermistrustsordiscriminatesagainstitsgayemployees，forinstance.Infact，sincethe1990sthefederalgovernmenthasforbiddenitsagenciesfromdiscriminatingagainstlesbiansandgaymeninemployment，andmanystategovernmentsnowprohibitdiscriminationinprivateemploymentandhousingaswell.Publicsupportforgaypeoplehasgrownsomuchinmanycitiesandregionsofthecountrythatvotershaveelectedopenlygaycandidatestooffice.Therearehundredsofopenlygayelectedofficialsincitygovernmentsandstatelegislaturesacrossthecountry，andatthehighestlevelofgovernmentthereareevenseveralopenlygayCongressmenandwomen.