158158 Chapter 5 | Civil Rightsa majority of Americans opposed this policy when it was first proposed by President
Clinton in 1993. Between 60 and 64 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage
according to recent polls, whereas only 35 to 40 percent held that view in 2009. More
than 60 percent believe that same-sex couples should be able to adopt children,
89 percent think that businesses should not be able to discriminate against gays and
lesbians, and 63 percent believe that same-sex couples should be entitled to the same
benefits as heterosexual couples (whereas only 32 percent think they should not).^20 In
May 2012, President Obama endorsed same-sex marriage for the first time (and was the
first president to take that position), completing his gradual evolution on the issue. In
2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states (we will
discuss this and other issues concerning gay and lesbian rights later in the chapter).^21 In
the 2016 presidential campaign Donald Trump said, “I will do everything in my power
to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign
ideology. Believe me.” But his record on LGBTQ issues has been criticized by civil
rights supporters.^22In 2016, President Obama designated
the historic site of the Stonewall
uprising in New York City as a national
monument to honor the LGBTQ
equality movement.“Why
Should
I Care?”
Why does this history matter for politics today? First, the effects of slavery and Jim
Crow laws are still quite evident: legal racial segregation ended 50 years ago, but its
legacy—especially evident in the difference that exists in the relative quality of educa-
tion available to most whites and blacks—remains. Second, knowing about this history
helps us understand where the inequalities (that we discuss in the next section) in our
society come from. Finally, active discrimination based on race, gender, and sexual ori-
entation is still evident in our society. Given the importance of race in the everyday lives
of millions of Americans and in gaining an understanding of American politics, a grasp
of the history that got us to where we are today is an important starting point.Full_06_APT_64431_ch05_148-197.indd 158 16/11/18 1:27 PM