The politics of the 1970’s saw great democracy, legally much discrimination was gone. Expression of gender roles and sexuality were evolving and people no longer felt bound by social pressure. With this, conservatives began looking for ways to regulate sexuality. Anita Bryant led an anti-gay movement after she pushed to overturn an ordinance in Dade County, Florida, “prohibiting discrimination on the basis of affectional or sexual preferences” (Freeman 341). Bryant deemed homosexuality a sin and portrayed gays as sexual predators. In an article published in 1977 by B. Drummond Ayres Jr. of The New York Times, Bryant states, “If homosexuality were the normal way, God would have made Adam and Bruce.” Bryant’s efforts were successful and the ordinance was repealed. Gay rights legislation was reversed in cities across the nation and the Briggs amendment pushed for further bans on homosexual schoolteachers. Opposing gay rights became a nation wide movement, as did gay rights activism (Freeman 342).
Harvey Milk and his “hope” speech is significant because he spoke up for the rights of those that were being discriminated against, no matter the repercussions. Milk’s actions were brave, despite dangers he may face he spoke for what he believed in (Milk would be assassinated on November 27, 1978). He publically advocated for gays during a time when homosexuality was not widely accepted and many kept their sexuality a secret. Milk’s message was one of tolerance, inclusion, and hope. Cleve Jones, a student intern for Harvey Milk in 1978, said, “he was one of the first people to tell me that I had value as a human being and that I didn’t need to change.” Milk inspired a community to come together and he encouraged gays to come out of the closet and make their voices heard, “And if you help elect the Central Committee and other offices, more gay people-that gives a green light to all who feel disenfranchised, a green light to move forward. It means hope to a nation that has given up, because if a gay person makes it, the doors are open to everyone.” (Milk). His activism helped to defeat the proposed Briggs amendment. On October 5, 1978, Mervin Field of Field Poll wrote of Milk’s impact on the issue stating, “there had been a major shift in voters’ views of the measure, Proposition 6, in just a month-with support plunging from 61 percent to 45 percent.”
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Mother And Son By Langston Hughes
The poem, “Mother and Son” by Langston Hughes was written in 1922 when Hughes focused his writing on the lives of African Americans and their hardships against discrimination and poverty. It describes the struggles many people have in life, and their hardships to make it through. The poem is written as a conversation taking place between a mother and her son. It continues to detail a mother’s past experiences, which influence the advice she then gives to her son. Langston Hughes uses figurative language in his poem “Mother to Son” to describe the mother’s difficult journey through life.
Stairs are a symbol used to show someone moving up in life, which is the image Langston Hughes used to explain the journey one has in life. “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”, this crystal stair is used to compare the speaker’s (the mother) life as being a hard one, possibly one that is without privilege. Tacks, splinters, torn boards and a floor with no carpet are some of the words used to give the idea that life was not easy for some during this time, many were confronted with prejudice and economic hardship. “Don’t you set down on the steps ‘cause you finds it’s kinder hard” Hughes again uses the steps to show the African American struggles during this time, and the obstacles they needed to overcome. He uses the story from the mother to the son to express the need for the next generation to continue moving upward for the rights they’ve fought so hard to obtain.
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