A man ostracized by society because of his sexual preference, discriminated against and victimized because he is heterosexual. This world where heterophobia is rampant and homosexuality is stigmatized is taken from a story called The Crooked Man, written by Charles Beamont and published in Playboy magazine. This world is a world that many would fear and view as unjust, but isn't that what is currently happening in the world on the other side. According to the Advocate, Hugh Hefner, creator of Playboy, wrote that "if it was wrong to persecute heterosexuals in a homosexual society, then the reverse was also wrong." » in response to the strong negative reactions sparked by the article more than five years ago. Americans have come a long way since the mid-20th century in accepting and understanding other human beings. Over the past decade, support for marriage equality has increased from one-third to nearly half of Americans having a favorable view. Given the current trend, it is inevitable that equality for homosexuals will be achieved to the level where it is accessible to heterosexuals within the next two decades. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center between 2003 and 2013 studied the American people's views on homosexuality and marriage equality over the past 10 years. In 2003, 58% of Americans were against same-sex marriage, while only 33% were in favor. The last study in 2013 determined that the number of Americans in favor of marriage equality for same-sex couples had increased to 49%, while opposition fell to 44%. The subgroup with the largest increase in favorable views of marriage equality was the millennial generation (born 1980-2000), with a 19% increase in favor, from 51% in 2003 to 70% in 2013. This also constitutes...... middle of paper ....... Web. May 1, 2014. Hamer, D., S. Hu, V. Magnuson, N. Hu, and A. Pattatucci. “A link between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation.” Science 261.5119 (1993): 321-27. Print.Levay, S. “A difference in hypothalamic structure between heterosexual and homosexual men.” Science 253.5023 (1991): 1034-037. Print.Marcus, Eric. Is it a choice? : Answers to the most frequently asked questions about gays and lesbians. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005. Print.Mondimore, Francis Mark. A natural history of homosexuality. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1996. Print. “American acceptance of gay/lesbian relationships is the new normal. » American acceptance of gay/lesbian relationships is the new normal. Np, and Web. May 02, 2014.Wolfson, Evan. Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay Rights to Marriage. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.