Recently, I came across the first
openly gay man to get awarded an Oscar, Mr. Dustin Lance Black. He was awarded
the Oscar for the screenplay of a movie called ‘Milk’. This 2008 movie
was written based on the life story of the first openly gay politician and
activist in America, Harvey Milk. It features the difficulties faced by Mr.
Milk in the 70s to become California’s first openly gay individual to get
elected to public office in a society where homosexuality was prosecuted and
his activities aimed at obtaining gay rights till he was assassinated.
Though it may not be embellished by high-investment-graphics
like the Marvel movies, it had beautifully portrayed the raw feelings of people
during the time and how the LGBTQ+ movements today are so similar to those
earlier but how they could be far more effective. Lance expertly describes how Harvey’s
ideology of bringing together different vulnerable groups and using the power
of one to help another helped Milk win the campaign against the repealing of
Proposition 6 with the aid of the worker groups. Moreover, Harvey also spreads
the heartfelt message of how hope will never be silent, which in itself
empowered me as a cisgender female LGBTQ+ individual.
Though almost the whole film continuously
gave me goosebumps with its powerful messages, Lance’s promise of getting the
court to repeal Proposition 8 while he was receiving his Oscar was the most overwhelming
and empowering message. The sheer fact that people of power and those having
celebrity status would take years off their career for the cause of letting
people live and express themselves as who they are and love who they want to was
very heartwarming. Furthermore, throughout their activities in regard to
Proposition 6 and Proposition 8, both Harvey and Lance, respectively, highlighted
the importance of personal stories rather than just blind marches and
processions to touch the hearts of fellow human beings.
Both Lance and Harvey has motivated me to use the story of my pain and hardships to slowly influence the people near me and then expand that influence to wider circles providing relief and helping many people of the heterosexual majority to understand and relate with the LGBTQ+ community. This has helped me understand that though it may take time, I have the power to sway a lot of people and do my hand to dispose off the prejudice related to the LGBTQ+ community, so that I can help both others and myself. I could see that from the sheer fact of how my mother, at first, was in denial when I came out but now accepts who I am and over time, she is understanding me more deeply. Thus, Milk (2008) has been the most relatable movie I have ever seen and it has been my favourite since then.
