"if protected conduct is made criminal and the law which does so remains unexamined for its substantive validity, its stigma might remain even if it were not enforceable as drawn for equal protection reasons. when homosexual conduct is made criminal by the law of the state, that declaration in and of itself is an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres. … the texas statute furthers no legitimate state interest which can justify its intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual. … they (the writers of the constitution and its amendments) knew times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress. as the constitution endures, persons in every generation can invoke its principles in their own search for greater freedom."—justice anthony kennedy, from the opinion of the court in lawrence v. texas, 2003

what does this ruling reveal about the conservative political movement in the united states?

a. it has had success at all levels and in all branches of government.

b. it has faced opposition in its aims to legislate moral behavior.

c. it has continued to grow and succeed in addressing current issues.

d. it has suffered a steady decline in significance and influence.