Gays and lesbians continue to make progress toward legal and social equality despite politics and the results of elections. Politics has a very limited and declining impact on shaping social changes and attitudes. What shapes social changes and attitudes are fundamental social, cultural, and economic factors that encourage liberty or equality for gays and lesbians. These factors shape politics. Politics can only adjust to changes that have already begun at deeper levels in our society. Increased gay visibility, natural demographic changes, gay affirming psychology, religious protestantization, and the new techno-economy shape the political landscape. Politics can hasten or hinder these changes, but it cannot alter the course of direction.