I like Guys

I Like Guys

The topic of homosexuality has become a constant issue throughout our society for many years. Many people believe that being gay is not acceptable for both religious and moral reasons. Because being gay is not accepted, many homosexuals may feel shame or guilt because of the way they live their everyday lives. This in turn can affect how the person chooses to live their life and it can also affect who the person would like to become. Growing up, David Sedaris struggled to find the common ground between being gay as well as being a normal teenager. He often resorted to the conclusion that you could not be both. Sedaris allows us to see things through his young eyes with his personable short story “I Like Guys”. Throughout his short story, Sedaris illustrates to the reader what it was like growing up being gay as well as how the complexities of being gay, and the topic of sexuality controlled his lifestyle daily. He emphasizes the shame he once felt for being gay and how that shame has framed him into the person he has become.

For David Sedaris, growing up was not the typical fun and excitement as it was for other teenagers his age. Sedaris battled a secret that was looked down upon by all of society as well as the world around him. A secret that left him feeling shameful about his everyday life and constantly wishing he could do something, anything, to change it.

Within his short story, Sedaris gives us many examples of the shame he felt because of his sexuality. One example of the shame he felt would be on page 84. He states that if he would have won a contest that gave away cash as a prize, he would have visited a psychiatrist who could help cure him of his homosexual thoughts. He stated that he would resort to “electroshock, brain surgery, hypnotism- I was willing to try anything” (Sedaris, 84). This example shows the shame Sedaris felt for being gay. He stated he would have done ANYTHING to help cure him of his homosexual thoughts.

Another example of the shame Sedaris felt is on page 83 where he states “I had never done anything with another guy, and literally prayed that I never would. As much as I fantasized about it, I understood that there could be nothing worse then making it official”. These would not be the words of someone who is proud of their sexuality or embraces their sexuality. These are the words of a boy who is shameful and guilty of his sexuality. He knows that he could never act on his homosexual thoughts because that would mean he would have to actually admit to being gay, something that society and his family would never be able to accept.

The third and final example that I chose to represent the topic of shame is on page 86. Here, Sedaris is telling the reader that he is going to find a girlfriend in Greece who would be “a French tourist wondering the beach with a loaf of bread beneath her arm. Lisette would prove that I wasn’t a homosexual, but a man with refined tastes”. Someone who is not ashamed of their sexuality would not be trying to convince themselves and the reader that they are going to find a girlfriend to help show the world they are not homosexual. These are the words of a boy who is ashamed of his sexuality, and would go as far as finding a girlfriend even though he is gay; in order to show others he is not gay.

This personable story describes the life of a teenager who is really trying to find his place in the world, just as any other teenager his age would. Sedaris gives us insight on what it was like for him growing up and knowing he was gay; obviously not something that was looked highly upon in earlier years. Through his use of sarcasm as well as his comparisons between homosexuality and race, Sedaris is able to give us a clear view of what it was like for him growing up with such an uncontrollable burden on his life.

Throughout the story, Sedaris uses a lot of sarcasm and humor to help represent his experiences. Sedaris could be doing this the help lessen the bold fact of homosexuality. One example of sarcasm and humor Sedaris uses can be found on page 86 when he is talking about his trip to Greece. “Lisa and I weren’t getting along very well, but I hoped that the warm Mediterranean waters might melt the icicle she seemed to have mistaken for a rectal thermometer”.

Throughout the story, the reader is also able to see the many representations of racism made by his peers. One very apparent example of this can be found on page 85. “Several of my teachers, when discussing the upcoming school integration, would scratch at the damp stains beneath their arms, pulling back their lips to reveal every