On Earth the world population has over 7 billion people who belong to over 5000 ethnic groups. With over 7 billion people, you'd think there would be some major differences between all of us, but the most obvious difference is the color of our skin. With the difference in skin color, prejudice against some ethnic or racial minorities has increased and discrimination has arisen from this. Take for example the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Even after 50 years and the election of President Barack Obama, African Americans still feel underrepresented and discriminated against. Another example is the women's rights movement, which began in the 1840s and is still prominent today. Just over a year ago, the ban preventing women from fighting in combat abroad was finally lifted. And even today, women are oppressed in the workforce because of the glass ceiling, an invisible barrier that blocks the promotion of a qualified individual in a work environment because of the individual's gender, race or ethnicity. A further example, which serves as the basis for this article, are the Stonewall riots, the beginning of the LGBT movement and society's view towards homosexuality since then. “This gay liberation movement, initiated by the Stonewall riots in New York, expressed the dual intention of discrediting psychiatric and medical models of homosexuality and attempting a large-scale transformation of society” (Downing, 2011). By the mid-1970s, the LGBT movement helped establish gay identity as a legitimate minority group: the gay community. Often people encounter situations in their environment or encounter people they are not familiar with. Today, society is very quick to label someone based on the way they dress... middle of paper... it's at the center of the agenda. The conference highlighted the fact that gay rights have become one of the most controversial and challenging issues facing contemporary Christianity” (Hunt, 2009). Traditionalists, along with the world's major religions, generally disapprove of homosexuality and often cite religious arguments to support their views. Since 2003, the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church have opened their doors to gay bishops and clergy, even as most other denominations keep intact their teaching against homosexual behavior. Relatedly, overall support for same-sex marriage jumped to 53% in 2013. During this period, same-sex marriage became legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, which limited federal recognition of legally married gay couples.