I am completing a project on the impact of the 14th amendment. Though I Have found a good deal relating the topic to the 1960's civil rights movement and feminism, I'm struggling to connect it to the more modern gay right's movement.
I have cited Romer v. Evans, as well the Loving v. Virginia argument. Are their other helpful points I could use to connect the amendment with this movement?
Thank you.
US v. Windsor was decided last year and while that deals with the 5th Amendment because it's a federal case, federal guarantees of fundamental rights and equal protection apply to the states through the 14th Amendment. (If you don't know about incorporation in the context of the 14th amendment, read up on it! It's crucial to understanding the amendment's role in current constitutional law.)
This past couple months have seen MANY cases being decided at the US District Court level where plaintiffs have successfully challenged states' anti-gay-marriage laws on 14th Amendment grounds. It's a flood of them following up on Windsor.
Take a look at 2003 Lawrence vs. Texas. This is when the Sodomy Laws were finally struck down.