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Once Hardwick was being litigated, lesbian and gay legal scholarship increased significantly. 4 Thus, to many in the legal academy, gay rights litigation appears to have begun with Hardwick.Yet that perception is not consistent with reality.A major purpose of this Article is to describe the broader history of gay rights litigation so that Hardwick can be seen in its proper context.Legal scholars are not alone in their misperceptions.Outside of the legal academy, there is a strong perception that the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall Riots in 1969.Although that event was certainly a turning point, a significant gay rights movement existed before that time.Thus, this Article will also cover the legal and social history that preceded Stonewall.
Patricia A. Cain (Fri,) studied this question.