what social group that was once considered deviant but is now considered more acceptable in our society

Answer 1

Note: This is answer is U.S.-centric.

It is important to note different types of deviancies and social groups.

https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/chapter/6-1-social-groups/

As we note from the above reading linked above, social groups are two or more individuals who share a common interest, so this can range from two friends to family units to communities to organizations as well as the commonly thought of cultural identities.

As such, Jadee A. brought up a great illustration of sexual minorities, as society's norms used to be very homophobic. However, in many countries and societies, thoughts on sexual minorities (gay, lesbian, bisexuality, etc.) have shifted from actively oppressing the group (e.g., Stonewall Riots; Lavender Scare) to barely tolerating them (e.g., Don't Ask, Don't Tell Army Policy) to fully integrating them into society with rights similar to their heterosexual counterparts (e.g., same-sex marriage; Love is Love campaign). Presently, this is slowly happening for gender minority individuals as well, but there is still active oppression and violence against transgendered individuals so we are not quite there yet unfortunately.

There are also countercultures, such as biker groups, who later became normative. This is a great example that is used in sociology classes to demonstrate how a counterculture that used to be rejected as socially deviant can become mainstream. One common argument is that commercialism (Harley-Davidson) made biker groups mainstream, with most biker groups now perceived by society to be beneficial thanks to their philanthropy work.

As one last example, we can even consider those who are neurodiverse. Behaviors of autistic individuals who had trouble conforming to social standards had their behaviors originally deemed as deviant by society, but increasing awareness and education of autism has led to autistic individuals thriving today.

Ultimately, there are plenty of examples, such as multiracial couples, cannabis users, and so forth. These shifts are important not only for sociological scholarly inquiry, but also in advancing change in public policy, governance, and day-to-day operations across industries as a whole.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you want to learn more!