Hope Speech

The most explicit theme in Milk’s speech is pride in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) community. Specifically, the speech emphasizes the necessity of pride in an environment that wants to force LGBTQ+ people to remain closeted or face bitter consequences. “The Hope Speech” presents pride as the answer to LGBTQ+ prejudice and the only working solution for hatred and prejudice.

LGBTQ+ pride is conceptually based in opposition to the stigma and shame historically attached to LGBTQ+ people. Pride is queerness made visible; it serves as a language between LGBTQ+ subgroups, allowing unity and personal identification all at once. Pride flags and other symbols, for example, allow LGBTQ+ people to display their unique identities without needing to openly make a statement. Milk references the purpose of pride by saying, “Once you have dialogue starting, you know you can break down prejudice” (4). In line with Milk’s demand for dialogue, pride and the symbols that go with it invite conversation, both among LGBTQ+ people of varying identities and between LGBTQ+ people and their allies. The purpose of pride is to be visible and, through visibility, to be understood.

While a value system and belief at heart, pride manifests in actions meant to bolster unity between LGBTQ+ subgroups, such as parades.