gay rights

when discussing "gay rights," use the term "equal rights for ..." or "equal protection for ..." instead. These rights are often referred to by anti-gay groups as "special-interest privileges" or "special protected status." They are portrayed as rights the average person does not have, when in fact they are simply the same rights enjoyed by others—including the right to live free from discrimination in employment, housing, and education. See also gay (adj.), gay man, homophobia, homosexual, lesbian (n., adj.), queer (adj.).