Throughout American history, we have seen the United States become more progressive in social issues, such as the abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, and the law civil rights movement. But as time went on, we encountered another group that is being discriminated against: homosexuals. Some states do their best to give equal rights to homosexuals so that they are respected the same as everyone else. But in many states, such as Kansas and Arizona, corporations and private businesses have the right to turn away same-sex couples if it interferes with their religious beliefs. These two states also included places such as hospitals where homosexuals may be denied medical care. These laws are very inhumane and are very harmful to a large population today. But what if people in states like Kansas and Arizona thought it was okay to have these laws instilled? In the story "Two Kinds", by Amy Tan, the mother in the story tries to do what is best for her daughter to become a world-famous prodigy. This problem could also be related to the short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas", by Ursula K. LeGuin, in which the inhabitants of Omelas are happy in their lives but they also see that there is this person sleeping in a closet and They are treated like animals, but they continue their lives anyway. There are those who speak out against these hateful laws towards homosexuals, but there is also that group of people who remain silent and say nothing for fear of being labeled with words like "gay" or "faggot". The two stories have a profound connection to each other, in the sense that they influence the different reactions that citizens have when faced with laws that limit the lives of others. Confo......middle of paper......Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2011. 108-237. Literary criticism online. Storm. VALE - Mercer County Community College. March 2, 2014“Short Stories." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 127. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010. 125-388. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. VALE - Mercer County Community College. February 28, 2014Stern , Mark J. "Kansas' Anti-Gay Segregation Bill Is an Abomination." March 01, 2014. Tan, Amy, and Samuel Cohen “Two Kinds of Literature: The Human Experience.” 11th edition Boston: Bedford/St, 2013, 2010, 2006, 2002. 386-94.