Homosexuality is Illegal
In the Handmaid’s Tale, homosexuality makes someone a “gender traitor”. Women who were known lesbians were forced to work in the colonies, and only the fertile women were forced into becoming handmaids. Gay men were killed and hung on the wall.
A lot of people forget that homosexuality was not legal in the United States for a very long time, even though it is only opposed because of religious and moral beliefs. Before “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” became a thing during the Clinton administration, any gay man discovered to be serving in the military was discharged. During World War II, gay men were often shot for being discovered, even if these men were only in the army because they were drafted. Homosexuality was still illegal in 14 states until the year 2003. Marriage equality just recently passed in 2015.