Be sure of the change you are looking for...

The reading this week, "We are certain of Our Own Insanity" by Lewis, discussed some unintended consequences of the Gay rights movement efforts to have homosexual removed as a a mental illness diagnosis. The efforts to make the change highlighted the issues in such generalized diagnoses. As a result, there was a push to bring more specifics and details into the DSM. Removing "homosexual" led to a more detailed and comprehensive guide to mental illness diagnoses. It may remain to be seen if increasing the reach of psychiatry into medicine creates other issues.

This situation showed that movements must not only focus on short term results but also long term consequences. As a society we like quick fixes but rarely think too far into the future. In the above-referenced case, I think ultimately the change was needed and the result worth it, but I also think we still have a long way to go.