Hope Speech

Although now encompassed under the modern acronym LGBTQ+, the gay rights movement, championing public recognition and pride in the face of societal shame and condemnation, started in America after the Stonewall Riots in June 1969. The Stonewall Riots were caused by a police raid on a New York City gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, that quickly escalated into violence and protests. At the time, many cities were being “cleansed” of LGBTQ+ people through raids and arrests, making the riots a keystone moment in queer history.

LGBTQ+ people have always been a part of American history and culture, whether openly or not. However, in the years the Stonewall Riots, LGBTQ+ people engaged in a variety of political and social acts to demand equal treatment and recognition. These included parades, which were developing from political protests into celebratory pride parades around the time of Milk’s speech. These demonstrations often served both purposes, seeking to make each LGBTQ+ person visible and undeniable through action and celebration. As Milk references, another key part of the gay rights movement was the act of “coming out of the closet” (See: Index of Terms) or choosing to live as an openly LGBTQ+ person despite the potential risks.

The goal of the gay rights movement in America was broad, but it primarily sought to change American society’s view on gay people by bringing awareness to their humanity and need for equal treatment. American society had treated LGBTQ+ people as criminal or ill for centuries—during the 1960s and 1970s, attraction to people of the same gender was still classified as a mental health disorder. Activists during this time looked to reframe queerness through the lens of civil rights. They mimicked language used by Black civil rights leaders and other marginalized communities and referenced landmark civil rights events, such as those led by Martin Luther King Jr., to give legitimacy to their platform. The gay rights movement that emerged during this time is sometimes also called the gay liberation movement to distinguish it from earlier activism, which tended to be more tentative and conciliatory in tone. This movement, also called the Gay Liberation Front, existed from the late 1960s to the 1980s.

This movement was not without opposition. Around the time of Milk’s campaigns, Floridian anti-gay activist Anita Bryant ran the “Save Our Children” campaign, which smeared gay people, especially teachers, as pedophiles. While bills were being passed to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people across the country, Bryant and others heavily campaigned to block or repeal those bills and to promote the belief that gay people were dangerous and perverted. Her campaign and organization initiated a sharp and violent split between the slowly forming Christian right and gay activists. Milk’s “Hope” speech engages with this context directly, referencing Bryant and her goals several times.

Harvey Milk delivered his speech at a time when many within the LGBTQ+ community were divided over how to pursue their goals. As many activists had done before him, he uses civil rights language and rhetorically ties the gay rights movement to other liberation movements to encourage support. Milk’s speech also looks to promote unity rather than division, while still acknowledging those who look to undermine his position. In the wake of prejudice and violence, Milk uses his position and his words to offer hope to not just San Francisco, known for its prominent gay subculture, but to gay people across the nation in need of inspiration.