Constructive discourse with rational minds wins and protects. Demands, without discourse, context or leverage, can be counter productive and can completely derail productive discourse.
Do you suppose that the LGBT community ultimately won their rights through a patient campaign of engaging their opposition through debate clubs, paid advertisements and letters to the editor? Or through actions like this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots
The moment a police baton cracks your head is the moment you can be pretty sure that the time for "constructive discourse" -- and for patiently "asking" for your rights -- has ended.
Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act[1] and granting rights for same sex marriage[2] has done more for the LGBT community than any riot, or act of violence, or demand, ever has, or ever will.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathroom_bill [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_Marriage_Act#Repeal... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_the_Unite...
That is, without a moment when those affected came forward to not just demand, but to claim and assert their rights when the situation called for it.