Yoon 1

Jun Yoon
English 114A
Mr. Noh
12 October 2015
Social Issue Caused by Being Different
In the book Everyday by David Levithan, it contains the theme of homosexuality
throughout many scenes. The way homosexuality is portrayed is quite similar to the way it is in
our society. By engaging A to different bodies of people that are homosexual, the author
showcases how theme of homosexuality is manifested in a social issue. Homosexuality is
becoming one of the main social issues because of the prejudice and narrow perspective that
people have. As living in a free country, Americans prioritize the freedom and rights of human
being. Yet people that are homosexual do not seem to have full freedom and rights in terms of
identifying their own sex.
There is a scene where A inhabits in a body of Nathan who is gay and confronts Justin
with Rhiannon at a party. At the party Justin with anger sees Rhiannon and Nathan together and
asks who he is. Rhiannon introduces Nathan and mentions that he is gay. The reply that came
from Justin was Yea I can tell from the way he dressed. (page72) In that specific scene it is
shown that Justin judged and identified Nathan solely by his appearance. Justin has refused to
pay attention to other parts of Nathan but only cared about the fact that he was gay. Having the
bias of thinking that homosexual people would always dress, act, and behave only in certain
ways made Justin identify Nathan only as gay instead of Nathan himself. This occurs in our
society as well. People only pay attention to how homosexual people are different from the most
of people and criticize them for their different characteristics. Only difference in being

Yoon 2
heterosexual and homosexual is how one identifies oneself. Homosexual people tend to suffer
more in a society where being different is not accepted to the full extent.
Despite of its presence in our society, the history of homosexuality is comparably short.
According to the article the idea of homosexuality was influenced by the force to live outside
traditional family, structures, many in same sex setting such as military and industrial barracks,
for prolonged periods as people migrated to large cities for more opportunities of getting jobs
(Ford). Homosexual people were discriminated and were treated with disrespects in many areas
such as in military and work. Homosexuals were banned from military and fired from most of
their jobs. Families and communities were not exceptional. Under much burden the first political
organization to support homosexual was known as the Mattachine Society. After Mattachine
Society, homosexuals started many movements and protest to eliminate the discrimination and
inequality. Also in early 1970s gay and lesbian communities pushed for anti-discrimination
laws, and they were successful in a few cities (Ford). Even though things were getting better,
the life for homosexuals was not still easy and comfortable.
Four months ago in June 26 2015 the U.S passed the law that grants a right to same sex
marriage in all 50 states. According to the article, the decision which was culmination of
decades of litigation and activism set off celebrations across the country and the first same-sex
marriages in several states (Gay Marriage Timeline). For the same-sex marriage legalization
there had been numerous protests, campaigns, and movements. The decision was made in a
following case called Obergefell v. Hodges. One of the opposing statements in the debate was
that constitution does not address the right of the same-sex couples to marry, and therefore the
issue is reserved to the states to decide. (Oyez.org). The result was five to four votes
concluding to pass the law which legalized the same-sex marriage in all states of America. After

Yoon 3
fighting for such a long period of time, homosexuals finally earned their respect and right.
Despite of legalization, portion of people still exists that oppose the idea of homosexuality.
Homosexuality is one of the social issues not because it is causing harm or disorder but
because it is seen and treated as different and odd. Why would there be people that oppose
homosexuality? Their different backgrounds of different lives could be the reason why. Not
everyone is raised under same education, religion, tradition, and environment. Differences in
such factors affect people to have their own way of seeing certain things. Therefore people tend
to consider things as odd and abnormal when they face something that goes against or out of
their expectations. In a society where homosexuality is not viewed as same as heterosexuality,
people are more vulnerable to become against or at least scruple towards homosexuality.
The author of book connects the theme of homosexuality to the social issue in many
parts of the book and also how it is manifested in the social issue. Through those scenes the
author portrays the struggles that homosexuals face and the different treatment they receive.
Homosexuality as a social issue has gotten better and improved. However it still seems like life
of homosexuals has not gotten easier and their identities are not fully accepted in the society that
we live in.

Works Cited

Yoon 4
"Allies & Advocates." A Brief History of Homosexuality in America. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct.
2015.
"Gay Marriage Timeline - Gay Marriage - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web.
11 Oct. 2015.
Levithan, David. Every Day. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.
Levithan, David. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
"Obergefell v. Hodges | Oyez." Obergefell v. Hodges | Oyez. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.