BeingOtherReflection

The most important parts of the American Character, in my opinion, are the traits that make each American different. For this reason, I created a page based on the importance being "other" in America, and being a supporter of the "others" in America. I started with a picture of a celebrity, Emily Rossum, in a "NoH8" (No Hate) rally. Being a straight ally who has a magnified voice in society, Emily and her pro-activity show how Americans come together to fight what they believe in. I then included a quote from Jennifer Beals, a Parker alumnus, actress, and personal idol; as Jennifer played a lesbian in the controversial show, "The L Word", she has been involved heavily in the journey to equality. I quoted her on the subject of gay marriage and the reason why people fight against equality - "It’s based in fear, fear of the other, fear of what is not like you". I next included a picture from an LGBT equality rally in which a man is waving an American flag with a rainbow (pride symbol) in place of the traditional red and white stripes. I included this picture to show the goal of the protests - for gay rights to be a part of America. The journey to those rights, though, is dependent on the American people and governmental leaders. President Obama, who stated that he was for gay rights and equal marriage, released a video with Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" campaign in which he tells American youth that they should be themselves, and that he believes that they should be protected, gay or straight. He and other White House Staff members also created a page on LGBT rights located on the White House website. I felt it was important to include the link for that page because it shows that the government is pushing for a more liberal agenda in terms of equal rights. Next, i included quotes from Alexis de Tocqueville and Martin Luther King - de Tocqueville has a more pessimistic and somewhat outdated view on American change, and King acknowledges that "a right delayed is a right denied", a statement that is forever true. The denied rights of people in the LGBT community are often mocked, as in the embedded video entitled "Gathering Storm". The ad itself is comically ignorant, and was quickly torn apart on youtube. Further, many celebrities came together to make a spoof of the video, showing their support for equality as well as their capacity deal with the protesters in stride. As I see it, Americans are becoming more accepting of the "others" in society as they realize that they are, in their own way, "other" in American society. I believe that America is entering another era of revolution based on equality, and I choose to believe that the revolution will result in LGBT equality.

To see more of the NoH8 campaign, click the link below. [|The NoH8 Campaign]

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