Equal Rights for All Americans Championed at Oscars

By Kevin Gosztola

"You commie, homo-loving sons of guns…I did not expect this and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me often…

 

For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight—I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.” –Sean Penn, acceptance speech for Best Actor

By the time Sean Penn came on stage to accept his award, there was already this sentiment in the air that an overwhelming issue for humanity in America was lingering. The issue was in the back of the minds of all those at the Oscars---LGBT rights.

The story of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), the first openly gay man elected to a major public office in the United States that was shot to death along with Mayor George Moscone by board colleague Dan White (Josh Brolin), was nominated for many of the categories and would come up in segments of the show like Hugh Jackman’s opening number and Judd Apatow’s video (which featured James Franco who not only starred in the stoner comedy Pineapple Express but also starred in Milk).

The issue of LGBT rights overshadowed the hope centric film Slumdog Millionaire's success throughout the night and the great film on presidential executive power, Frost/Nixon.

In the first hour of the awards show, the screenplay for Milk won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award. Dustin Lance Black accepted the award:

“I heard the story of Harvey Milk and it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life openly as who I am, and that one day I could even fall in love and get married.

I want to thank my mom, who has always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to.

But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he would want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches or by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value, and that no matter what anyone tells you God does love you and that very soon I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours.

Thank you and thank you God for giving us Harvey Milk.”

A group called WhiteKnot organized celebrities to wear (you guessed it) white knots at the Academy Awards as symbols of marriage equality. Artists like Emile Hirsch, Gus Van Sant, Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, Anne Hathaway, and others.

Robin Tyler, 66, who witnessed gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk in action back in the day, told the Washington Post what this film has done for equal rights:

"Obviously the most posh fundraising dinner parties don't work when it comes to getting our rights. . . . Then ['Milk'] comes out and pours gas on the fire…Suddenly there were all these young kids…I call them the 'new' generation, and I'm in the Milk generation. They see this movie, with all this history they just didn't know about -- young people taking to the streets, getting involved. They thought no one had been on the streets before. I said, 'No, no, no -- we've been here waiting for you. Welcome to the movement.”

Equal rights advocates like Tyler are gearing up for March 5th when the state Supreme Court will have a hearing that may overturn Prop 8.

If you were wondering where Barack Obama fit into the evening last night, Dustin Lance Black explained to the Times of India that a shift on gay marriage is “inevitable” for Obama.

Black explained that equal rights are “not a human luxury, these are human needs and they will be gotten.”

Sean Penn showed how glad he was that an eloquent man like Obama could be elected president in the United States of America just before issuing words that celebrated all the work of the courageous artists watching him accept the Best Actor award.

Backstage, Penn had more words for the protesters.

“[It’s] very sad in a way, because it's a demonstration of such emotional cowardice to be so afraid to be extending the same rights to a fellow man as you would want for yourself,” Penn said.

At GodHatesFags.com, the Academy Awards appears on the schedule for February 22, 2009.

What groups mobilized to protest the Oscars is unknown, but what is for sure is that their protest failed. Last night, equal rights triumphed and reigned supreme and will continue to gain support among Americans young and old.