The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision Friday that bans on gay marriage are unconstitutional, concluding decades of hard-fought battles by gay rights activists to grant marriage equality to all. Here is a timeline of milestones in the gay rights movement in the U.S.:

1953 : President Eisenhower warns nation of growing homosexual-industrial complex



: President Eisenhower warns nation of growing homosexual-industrial complex June 28, 1969 : Riots break out at Stonewall in Greenwich Village in history’s only example of useful protest against being asked to leave a bar



: Riots break out at Stonewall in Greenwich Village in history’s only example of useful protest against being asked to leave a bar December 15, 1973 : American Psychiatric Association downgrades homosexuality from mental disorder to quirk



: American Psychiatric Association downgrades homosexuality from mental disorder to quirk November 27, 1978 : Gay rights activist Harvey Milk assassinated, setting the stage for Sean Penn’s Oscar-winning 2008 performance



: Gay rights activist Harvey Milk assassinated, setting the stage for Sean Penn’s Oscar-winning 2008 performance September 1994 : First gay TV character who has personality traits other than being gay scrapped by NBC executives



: First gay TV character who has personality traits other than being gay scrapped by NBC executives September 21, 1996-June 26, 2013 : Marriage defended



: Marriage defended September 21, 1998 : Premiere of hit sitcom Will & Grace shows millions of Americans that gay people can be just as grating as heterosexuals



: Premiere of hit sitcom Will & Grace shows millions of Americans that gay people can be just as grating as heterosexuals May 17, 2004 : Massachusetts becomes first state to legalize gay marriage after Governor Mitt Romney makes first mistake of forthcoming presidential campaign



: Massachusetts becomes first state to legalize gay marriage after Governor Mitt Romney makes first mistake of forthcoming presidential campaign April 2, 2005 : Public high school teacher Sarah Collins shows 15 minutes of the movie Philadelphia to a room full of teenagers



: Public high school teacher Sarah Collins shows 15 minutes of the movie Philadelphia to a room full of teenagers December 18, 2010 : Senate repeals “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” granting LGBT military members the right to be absolutely terrified to serve openly



: Senate repeals “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” granting LGBT military members the right to be absolutely terrified to serve openly May 23, 2013 : Boy Scouts of America officially allows gay scouts to be tolerated



: Boy Scouts of America officially allows gay scouts to be tolerated July 16, 2014 : In Life With Archie Issue 37, iconic all-American comic book character Archie Andrews dies throwing himself in front of a bullet aimed at his gay friend and loudly proclaiming “This comic book series is on the right side of history”



: In Life With Archie Issue 37, iconic all-American comic book character Archie Andrews dies throwing himself in front of a bullet aimed at his gay friend and loudly proclaiming “This comic book series is on the right side of history” July 26, 2015 : The Supreme Court rules that bans against gay marriage are unconstitutional, backdating the decision to 1993 to spare the nation from embarrassment



: The Supreme Court rules that bans against gay marriage are unconstitutional, backdating the decision to 1993 to spare the nation from embarrassment June 18, 2025: United States’ homosexual overlords sacrifice another 100,000 breeders to the flames