Historic SCOTUS Ruling On Gay Rights

June 27, 2013

Michael Knaapen, left, and his husband John Becker, right, embrace outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after the court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California by holding that defenders of California's gay marriage ban did not have the right to appeal lower court rulings striking down the ban. (AP)

The Supreme Court's dual rulings on gay marriage this week have been called "landmark"... "historic"... a "turning point for gay civil rights in America". It is, undoubtedly, many of these things... but if you take a step back, where does this moment fall in the long historical arc of gay activism in America? And what does it tell us about the push-pull relationship between the legal and cultural evolution of the country?

Guests

Michael Bronski, professor in the study of women, gender, and sexuality at Harvard University and the author of “A Queer History of the United States.”

This segment aired on June 27, 2013. The audio for this segment is not available.