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.

It will take a long time, as the history of gay rights has taught us, to get equality and perfect gay civil rights. One example of the battle is seen in how hard gay people have to fight to have a family. Various states do not see gay marriage as a real definition of marriage. It is not a legal contract in any circumstances. Even if two people really do love each other, society dictates that they cannot join as the rest of us do.

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.

Little by little, civil rights for homosexuals are altering and are becoming a part of the public consciousness so that they may actually afford a greater degree of protection from violent and non-violent bigots alike. And while the country may never see true equality in this area, there is much to be learned from the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. People must also begin to discuss this subject more frequently, because it is always easier to combat any discrimination when it is out in the open.