Gay Rights

Historically, the term gay rights has encompassed areas as diverse as free speech, employment, religion, and cultural expression. Proponents of gay rights argue that the ability to inherit property from their partners without paying inheritance taxes, to have legal standing in matters involving a partner's health and legal guardianship, the right to marry, and the right to adopt children are basic civil rights that belong to all individuals, including gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals. Critics of gay rights argue that homosexuality is contrary to human nature, generally from a moral or religious perspective.

Because there are so many interest groups with widely diverging perspectives, there can be no single definition for the term gay rights, but in a broad sense it refers to a movement that ...