The next event that the LGBTQ+ community faced was the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Although the epidemic was not only found in the LGBTQ+ community, but it did also affect the LGBTQ+ community the most through gay and bisexual men. A negative view was then put onto men a part of the LGBTQ+ community because “gay and bisexual men continued to be disproportionately affected throughout this early portion of the epidemic’s timeline in the United States. An association with homosexuality compounded an already potent stigmatization of disease and illness, distilled even further through AIDS’ spread in communities of color, people who injected drugs, and sex workers.” (Brewster, 2024).

The next big event of the LGBTQ+ community is the legalization of gay marriage in the United States in 2015. Although, the United States where not the first country to legalize gay marriage or even the first five, the U.S. allowing the legalization of gay marriage started many other countries to follow suit. Following the legalization of gay marriage, pride parades became more prominent. While there were had always been pride parades throughout the U.S., many smaller cities started taking after bigger cities making their own parades. For example, Canton, Ohio started their own pride festival (for the whole Stark County area) which took place in 2022. Even a few years earlier in 2017, Akron, Ohio started their own pride festival too. As the years have gone on, the parades/festivals have even gotten better with people in their communities showing up and supporting each other.

            Looking at these events, one might think that this section would be focusing on older generations of the LGBTQ+ community. But in reality, it is to explain what the LGBTQ+ community has gone through that the Gen Z members never really learn about. Now, looking at these events would allow Gen Z to understand the importance of how common it is now to be out of the closet. “Less than 1 percent born before 1946 label themselves as LGBT. More than 20 percent of Generation Z identify as LGBT.” (Flynn, 2022 p. 1). Many members of LGBTQ+ community got to see the legalization of gay marriage in 2015, but unlike Gen Z many of the other generations were older. Gen Z is one of the first generations in the United States that have been allowed to have gay marriages from a young age. Now, younger Millennials will have also been able to have gay marriages at a younger age compared to older Millennials and other generations.