Analysis of "I'm The One That I Want" by Margaret Cho.

Essay by yipee43University, Bachelor'sA+, November 2003

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Analysis of I'm The One That I Want --by Margaret Cho

Is homosexuality really that strange? Yes. In today's society, homosexuality is considered to be eccentric. Heterosexuality is superior to homosexuality in a society where being gay is so taboo and unconventional. The stigma placed on homosexuality has created a community of people who struggle daily to overcome a hierarchy based on sexual preference. The hierarchy was created out of fear. "This fear is a fear of the unknown and of our own sexualities" (Novatnak 2000). We have allowed our insecurities to construct a hidden class system, and we have placed homosexuals at the bottom of this invisible pyramid.

On the night of June, 27 1969, a gay bar in New York called Stonewall was raided, and for the first time, the homosexual men in the bar stood up to the police harassment. The Stonewall riots and the Gay Liberation Front in New York in 1969 marked the beginning of a more public era of activism and visibility for gays and lesbians.

Although the gay rights movement has made great progress since 1969, prejudice against homosexuals is still very prevalent in today's society (Adam 1987). Recently, at a high school in Kentucky, 420 out of 990 students boycotted their school because a gay group was given permission to meet on campus (365gay.com 2002). The fact that this boycott occurred proves that there is an obvious need for a safe place for the young homosexuals to meet. These teens, like many gay individuals, are faced with the feeling of alienation every day.

Would you be offended if a stranger approached you on the street and called you a homosexual? Most people, whether gay or straight, would not find the situation humorous at all. You would most likely be offended because today's...