I am barely going to touch on this argument because I'm in a good mood today.
From a gay (and mexican) here is this:
Many things that are race-related/gender related are regulated by the law. But sociologically, there may be a long way to go... Paula Deen is proving that with the charges against her. Also, women still do not get equal pay for equal work, but legally they are still protected. We homos are kind of the last on the block to get invited to the party. And we didn't even WANT to come to the party until in 1969 when we were drug out into the streets and beaten by police because at the time it was illegal to have two men dance together. A law created especially for us.
Unlike many other minorities, we do not have the long history of evolution to equality. In other cultures we do, but not in the States. We are young, we have a lot of growing to do. But also unlike other minorites, we have laws specifically placed against us as a group, laws that have no other point in society but to work against who we are as human beings. And that's the difference. Things like DOMA is a completely unnecessary act... specifically written to stop the gay marriage conversation. The law I menioned above, the sodomy law from 10 ears ago, etc. etc. etc.
We can't stand on the same shoulders as women's sufferage or the underground railroad. We aren't looking to even have a comparison.
We just want to stop having laws made that make who we are illegal. And that is how we are different than other minority groups.