Legality of Same-Sex Marriage
Debates and Reasons for Americas Uncertainty
Background Information On Same Sex Marriage
What's the Story?
Harvey Milk was a civil and human rights leader in the US. He became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. On January 9th, 1978 Milk won San Fransisco City County Supervisor. "This was an important and symbolic victory for the LGBT community as well as a personal triumph for Milk. His election made national and international headlines." (The Harvey Milk Foundation).
Many death threats were sent to Milk because of all the rage about homosexuals.
On November 27th, 1978 Harvey Milk was assassinated by a man named Dan White. He was only given a mild sentence for Manslaughter. White's Attorney said that he had eaten to much junk food on the day of the crime, thus could not be accounted for it. He was sentenced to less that eight years in prison on May 21st, 1979. "Enraged citizens stormed City Hall and rows of police cars were set on fire. The city suffered property damage and police officers retaliated by raiding the Castro, vandalizing gay businesses and beating people on the street." (The Harvey Milk Foundation)
The Crucible
"Mister Proctor. When the Devil came to you did you see Rebecca Nurse in his company? Come, man, take courage—did you ever see her with the Devil?" (Miller, Act 2 Scene 2). Now everybody thought less of Proctor because they all believed his association with the devil.
In The Crucible, John Proctor was a man accused of working with the devil. These two men have a lot in common. These two never gave up on the things that they yearned for the most. Proctor wanted to strip Salem of the witch trials, and to prove his and others innocence. Milk wanted to get the gay community equal rights. Both of these men wanted to save people from being prosecuted.
The Crucible/ Same Sex Marriage Parallels
Violence occurred in both events. In The Crucible many people who were accused of which craft or working with devil were killed. Especially when they did not give out other's names, or admit to which craft. Many people were hostile to the openly gay people. Many people could not come out because people were so cruel to them, and many were shunned. Religious Victimization was a big part at both events. People thought that being gay was a sin and that there should be no homosexuals. Many believed that people who were gay were going to "hell". The Crucible shows how people used Christianity, and God to justify the deaths of many people. Hope was a big motive for Proctor and Milk. It was the only thing that kept them from giving up. Inclination was shown throughout both events. Both Proctor and Milk desired something that would change many people's lives, and save them from prosecution. I would say that Fear was the biggest threat to everyone in these to events. Fear is what cause Abigail and the girls to lie, and accuse innocent people. Fear is what cause Proctor to confess about his affair, and fear was what killed many innocent people. Fear of the devil, and fear of witchcraft. With homosexuals people's fear came from religion, and the lose of rights. For gays, the fear comes from the unaccepting society. Both people in the Crucible, and in The gay society have to be proved that their not doing anything wrong, and that the people are just paranoid.
Work Cited
"Gay marriage issue squarely before Supreme Court" Fox News. 17 Nov. 2014. 12/08/14
<http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/11/17/gay-marriage-issue-squarely-before-supreme-court/>.
"Harvey Milk- Biography" milkfoundation.org. WordPress Entries (RSS). 12/08/14
<http://milkfoundation.org/about/harvey-milk-biography/>.
Miller, Aurther. The Crucible
Polantz, Katelyn. "Milestones Mark Fight for Same-Sex Marriage on Way to Supreme Court" PBS
. 7 Dec. 2012. 12/08/14
Toobin, Jeffrey. "Same-Sex Marriage, The Legal Deluge" The New Yorker. 23 Dec. 2013.
12/08/14 <http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/same-sex-marriage-the-legal-deluge>.
Widdison, Corey. "Why do people fear same sex marriage?" examiner.com. 9 Jun. 2009. AXS
Network. 12/08/14 <http://www.examiner.com/article/why-do-people-fear-same-sex-marriage>.