Homophobia dates back to the Middle Ages when Islam and Christianity grew in popularity. The growth in popularity of these religions caused people to start to frown upon same-sex relationships. This was due to interpretations of the Bible labeling sodomy as a crime against God. This ecclesiastical law started the criminalization of queer people. Punishments went as far as death in many cases during the Middle Ages. These ideas were prominent in Europe and persisted, so they likely came to America during the colonization of the Americas. During this time and later until the 19th century, homosexuality was seen as a temporary, mutable behavior. This changed in the 19th century by psychologists. This was when Sigmund Freud popularized the idea that an absence of masculinity for boys and an absence of feminity for girls in their respective childhoods would lead to homosexuality. This led to the formation of organizations such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to aid children in being exposed to stereotypical gender norms due to their parents working long hours in factories. The criminalization and ostracization of queer people continued throughout history until the 1960s and 1970s when LGBTQ+ rights movements picked up and marriage and family rights, along with other civil rights, were fought for. Some notable people in this fight for civil rights are Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. They were trans women who helped lead the Stonewall Riot in 1969. They were among the first to act out against the police who were wrongfully raiding Stonewall and made a stand that helped others make a stand, too. They were both well-known in their community and were truly people who were full of courage and bravery. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay politician to be elected, and it was in California. He has been quoted saying, “We want gays to represent gays.” He led pride marches and used his position as a politician to fight for queer rights. One of these was the gay rights ordinance he put into legislation in 1978 to protect queer rights. He was assassinated after a year of being elected as the city supervisor, but he was still honored in 2009 when then-President Barack Obama awarded him the Medal of Freedom. These are a few among many who led the fight against homophobia, helped legalize queer marriage, and fought for queer rights.