Hope Speech

The speech regularly refers to exaggerated terms such as “the media” and “the taxpayers,” turning complex issues and groups into standardized entities. Why do you think Milk uses this language? How does it help him persuade his audience to think a certain way?

Milk regularly claims that racial minorities and sexual minorities share experiences and suffering. Research Milk’s audience. Do you think that this claim is effective? Why or why not?

Milk claims, “It’s not enough anymore just to have friends represent us. No matter how good that friend may be” (4). Why do you think he says this? What purpose does this sentence serve in the rest of the speech? Use other parts of the speech to support your claim.

Research modern pride parades and examine some of the issues LGBTQ+ people are fighting for today. How is Milk’s speech still relevant to these issues? How is it not?

Milk says, “The anger and the frustrations that some of us feel is because we are misunderstood, and friends can’t feel the anger and frustration” (4). Discuss the theme of empathy in the speech. Does Milk seem to believe empathy is important? Why or why not?

Find and read (or watch) the older versions of the speech. At one point, Milk says, “I personally will never forget that people are more important than buildings” (4). Why does he say this? What connections to the past versions of the speech does this have, and what is its impact?

What is the significance of the reference on Page 5 to Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Richmond, Minnesota? Does Milk mean these places literally, metaphorically, or both? Why does he reference young people in these places?

Research the practice of “coming out,” especially connected to Milk. Do you think Milk’s emphasis on it as needed for progress is necessarily always right? What reasons would he have for being so insistent that gay people should come out, regardless of the risks?