I think there's one fundamental difference between the LGBT community and the atheist community that explains most of the difference in how each group has gained acceptance.
The gay rights movement has always been about LGBT people being real, first-class citizens. We've fought for the end of discriminatory laws, the ability to serve openly in the military, marriage rights, etc. These are all things that straight people get, and we're simply demanding equal treatment under the law. No significant portion of the LGBT community has ever been vocal about wanting to destroy heterosexuality. We've always been very clear that we are absolutely *not* trying to recruit anyone's children or "turn" anyone gay. Straight people are born with their orientation, and so are we, and everyone should be able to live as they are and enter into whatever relationship they like with whatever consenting adult floats their boat. I think one of the most important parts of the movement has been convincing straight society that our relationships have absolutely nothing to do with theirs. I just want to be legally married to my wife. I have no interest in forcing the straight couple across the street to get divorced and enter into same sex relationships.
The problem with the most visible parts of the atheist community is that there is a large portion of that community who *are* very vocal about not only being personally without religious belief, but also about their goal of destroying religion. A whole lot of very vocal atheists are more than willing to go on at length about how religion is evil, people who have religious belief are stupid, parents who raise their children to be religious are abusive, etc. The problem atheists in general have is that those of us who are sane and reasonable are often drowned out by the "anti-theist" faction of the community, and that faction is just about the worst group of spokespeople we could possibly have. As long as the experience most people have with atheists is with someone who's berating them for having faith, we'll never make any headway.
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