The next big fight for gay rights will be won by Big Business

Money talks, and maybe that isn't always a bad thing

When Big Business sides with LGBT rights.
(Image credit: (Illustration by Lauren Hansen))

The rapid expansion of gay rights and LGBT acceptance in the United States is a remarkable story, and one that's still unfolding. If you think you know how it ends, you don't. As federal courts and state and local governments have opened the door to same-sex marriage, for example, state legislatures in Republican-controlled capitals have been responding with measures to limit gay rights, quash same-sex marriage, and take away local control over LGBT anti-discrimination policies.

The "religious freedom" laws in Indiana and Arkansas are the most famous of the recent state measures to curb gay rights. But Indianapolis and Little Rock are hardly alone. In Texas, for example, Republican state legislators have introduced at least 20 anti-LGBT bills in the current session — more than any other state, according to The Texas Observer.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.