As a secondary school literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter was required reading. I read this story twice during my high school years. Scarlett's letter is about a woman who gives birth to a daughter after having an affair and ends up under public scrutiny and is terribly humiliated by everyone because of her actions. This story takes place in the Puritan town of Boston, Massachusetts, in the 17th century, and shows how sexually intolerant early Americans were. Early Americans, especially men, cheated on their loved ones quite often. We've all seen it in movies and read in books, so there's no denying it. Most Americans today are still against adultery, but they are increasingly comfortable with immoral acts such as adultery. American attitudes toward sex have become more tolerable toward adult same-sex and premarital sex, and less toward sex outside of marriage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe General Social Survey is a sociological survey that collects and maintains information about the social concerns and attitudes of people in the States -United. The study has been collecting and monitoring data on attitudes toward sex since 1972, and one of the study's findings is that Americans are increasingly accepting of same-sex adults. In fact, from 1990 to 2012, acceptance of same-sex sexual relations tripled, from 13 percent to 44 percent of Americans saying it's "not bad at all." The legalization of same-sex marriage occurred around the same time, with same-sex marriage becoming legal in every state. “The growing support for same-sex marriage reflects how attitudes toward same-sex sexual activity are changing over time.” One of the main driving forces behind the change in same-sex adult acceptance is that, with the number of people who identify as gay or lesbian, there are more likely we as Americans , knew someone who had sex with the same sex. same sex. When you know someone instead of just hearing about them, you often get a higher level of support for that person and their cause. As USA Today suggests, the personal connection with an LGBT person is what drives change. “The number of Americans who say they have a gay or lesbian close friend or relative has increased from 22% in 1993 to 63% today, with millennials leading the way with 71% reporting they have a gay close friend or relative . or lesbian.” I find this to be true because same-sex adults and being gay were morally wrong growing up, and I can say that I didn't have any close gay friends or family, but recently my own brother came out as gay. The whole time it was something I hated and my reaction to a gay sibling was very harsh, but when he said it I accepted. While I don't completely agree, having a gay sibling has definitely increased my own tolerance in the three months since he told me. Just as I was taught to be against same-sex sexual relations, I was also taught that premarital sex was not moral. This seems to coincide with Americans' beliefs forty years ago, but according to the GSS they are also more tolerant/216813271/