ThishadaprofoundeffectonthedebateovergayrightsintheUnitedStates.Gaypeople’scommitmenttoeducatingtheirrelativesandfriendsabouthomosexualityandtheirwillingnesstoconfrontthemabouttheirbigotryandmisconceptionsresultedincountlessmomentsofstruggleanddebateinfamilies，workplaces，andstudentdormitoriesacrossthecountry.Cumulatively，gaypeople’ssuccessinchangingtheattitudesofthepeopleclosesttothemplayedadecisiveroleinshiftingpublicopiniontowardsupportforgayrights.Surveysshowthatpeoplewhoknowgaypeoplearetwiceaslikelytosupporttheirequalityaspeoplewhodonotknowgaypeople.
Athirdmajorcauseoftheincreasingacceptanceofgaypeopleresulteddirectlyfromtheirgrowingopenness.Fiftyyearsago，onereasonmanyAmericansfearedhomosexualswasthattheybelievedgaypeoplestoodoutsideofthefamilyandthreateneditsstability.Gaypeople’sgrowingopennessledmanyheterosexualstolearnthattheirownsonsanddaughtersweregay，anditmadeallAmericansmorefamiliarwiththerealitiesofgaylife.Manyheterosexualshaverecognizedhowmanygaypeopleestablishstable，lovingrelationships，howmanygaycouplesareraisingchildren，andhowdeeplytheywanttoprovidesecurityandstabilitytotheirpartnersandchildren.
MostofthedebatesoverhomosexualityintheUnitedStatesinrecentyearshaveresultedfromgaypeople’squesttogainlegalrecognitionoftheirrelationships.Manygaycoupleshaveevenaskedfortherighttogetmarriedbecausetheywishtosecuretherights，benefits，stability，andprotectionsfortheirfamiliesthatmarriageandmarriagealoneconveys.Gaypeople’scampaigntowintherighttomarryandprotecttheirfamilieshasproducedamajordebateintheUnitedStates.Butfromahistoricalperspective，oneofthatdebate’smostimportantconsequencesisthatithasshownAmericanshowcommittedmanygaypeoplearetotheirfamilies.