Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) people have quietly realized some success in arguing their claims in human rights terms in U.S. courts. Shunning the media, LGBT lawyers fear the public backlash that might occur should the extent of their victories become a matter for broad public comment. Yet even with the voluntary, self-imposed restrictions and the unevenness of advocacy victories, it is hard to deny that LGBT rights have come a long way in the U.S. legal system. But this is only a recent phenomenon; for three decades the movement for LGBT concerns was grounded less in human rights terms (i.e., the belief that all human beings have equal moral worth) and more in terms of participation through liberation rhetoric, displays of self-discovery, self-help strategies against two main threats (i.e., disease and public violence), and political campaigns.