A commonly stated goal among these movements is equal rights for LGBTQ people, often focusing on specific goals such as ending the criminalization of homosexuality or enacting same-sex marriage. Others have focused on building LGBTQ communities or worked towards liberation for the broader society from biphobia , homophobia , and transphobia.
LGBTQ movements organized today are made up of a wide range of political activism and cultural activity, including lobbying , street marches , social groups , media, art, and research. Sociologist Mary Bernstein writes: "For the lesbian and gay movement, then, cultural goals include but are not limited to challenging dominant constructions of masculinity and femininity , homophobia , and the primacy of the gendered heterosexual nuclear family heteronormativity.
Political goals include changing laws and policies to gain new rights, benefits, and protections from harm". As with other social movements, there is also conflict within and between LGBTQ movements, especially about strategies for change and debates over exactly who represents the constituency of these movements, and this also applies to changing education.
Leaders of the lesbian and gay movement of the s, '80s and '90s often attempted to hide masculine lesbians, feminine gay men , transgender people, and bisexuals from the public eye, creating internal divisions within LGBTQ communities.
This is due to misconceptions and conflicting views as to what entails "LGBT". For example, transgender people found that other members of the community were not understanding toward their own, individual, specific needs and would instead make ignorant assumptions, and this could cause health risks.
