Gays sought sanctuary not just in buildings but in institutions. It was a long time before it occurred to anyone that marriage might be one of them. In 1973, when the Homosexual Rights Committee of the Southern California Branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) made a list of six long-term priorities, marriage was not on it. In 1983, gay leaders had an opportunity to grill Democratic presidential candidates Walter Mondale and John Glenn about issues they cared about.
