Basically this covers the Social Movement Theory in relation to the Gay Rights Movement. The hardest part about understanding the Gay Rights Movement is trying to understand it as one movement. It is very similar to that of the Feminist Movement where there are several waves and this is where the chart from above comes into play (I have highlighted where it stands on the spectrum).
Ideas
Almost simultaneously, the GRM (Gay Rights Movement) is in the end of its campaign movement and moving into the next wave of itself with identifying another set of public issues that it wants to tackle. The GRM has successfully obtained the right to legally marry at the federal level. While they still fight in the small communal settings of marriage, they are now protected under the law to be guaranteed the right to marry in all states. However, now that the movement has achieved their big goal, they are having to restructure to allow for the movement to stay alive. This comes with the aligning of themselves in support of other major "Human Rights Movements." One of the biggest movements that they have starting aligning themselves with is the Black Lives Matter Movement. This is obvious with signage that reads "BLACK - QUEER - LGBT LIVES MATTER." This restructuring and merging comes with the implementation of LGBTQ politicians into different political positions at various different levels of government.
Radicality
The GRM began with peaceful protesting, but has become more radical over time. As of now, they stand somewhere between peaceful protest and almost to civil disobedience. The most "disobedient" protest have only barely crossed the line into being considered civil disobedience. The worst thing that a protest has done was fill the streets in Washington D.C. to block traffic to and from the Supreme Court building [Fun fact: I was actually in D.C. when this happened]. A lot of the success of this movement needs to be attributed to the fact that the protests have been non-violent and non-terror based. Since this movement is based on the idea of "equality in love," the movements need to be based in love and showing love to all people - not hatred.
Organization
Overall, there is no obvious controlling person or entity over the movement as a whole. There are a few different people and websites that control certain sections and/or regions of the movement throughout the country. In general, most of the organizational force behind the movements seems to be social media, especially twitter. This bring up the newest wave of the GRM with the new hashtag #20GayTeen. Upon further research, I found that this hashtag began with an old Disney Channel star. Apparently, this hashtag is in reaction to the political uproar of LGBTQ representation in various different levels of the government. This hashtag is to also promote the upcoming run of elections for lower levels of government because of the fact that the lower government can have such a great impact in moving "up the flagpole."
Demands
The relates heavily back the the "Ideas" section. Since the GRM is literally at the beginning of its next wave, the demands are still quite unclear, but the movement does seem like it has a purpose. The next wave of the movement seems to want to promote human rights as a whole and also change not just politics, but the politicians themselves. At one point, the demands were very clear: the right to marry across all 50 states. But this is where we find ourselves having to study this movement just a little bit harder. It is in the middle of rebranding itself and finding something to support withing the Human Rights Movement spectrum.
Thesis
The GRM is at the end of one wave and at the beginning of another all while trying to hold on to its picturesque support of human rights as a whole.
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