The Rhetorical Analysis of the Hope Speech by Harvey Milk Essay Sample

The LGBT community had been misrepresented and denied their rights in America, most notably, in the late 1970’s. Around this time, Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, was one of the most prominent spokesman on the issue surrounding LGBT rights. In 1978, he gave a speech which impacted the LGBT community, the anti-LGBT supporters, straight allies, and america. With an ideal opportunity within the political and social climate, and an effective use of pathos and logos, Harvey Milk adresses gay rights and encourages the LGBT community and all other discriminated minorities to fight for their rights as a people.

As Milk moves into the crux of his speech, he turns away from emotion appeals and effectively fills his speech with logos, providing logistic arguments in his efforts and requests. At the beginning of his speech, Milk makes a witty comment against Anita Bryant. Bryant had claimed that the drought in California was the fault of  gay people yet, the day Harvey Milk is elected it had rained, and hadn’t stopped since. He uses humor to highlight the idocy of comments made by anti-gay activists. It also acts as an argument to delve into Milks main logical appeal. His comments reveal the absurdity in the arguments of those that oppose gay rights, and with that, the movements pursuit of equality is legimitaized. 

The most logical reasoning Harvey Milk makes to back up his argument, is when he compares equates the gay rights movment to the civil rights movement. Milk points out that just like the civil rights movement, the gay rights movement will only be susccesful by electing gay politicans. He proclaims that “friends can't feel that anger and frustration…  a friend has never gone through what is known as ‘coming out’.”A gay politician can “set a tone, can command respect, not only from the larger community, but from the young people in our own community who need both examples and hope” A sympathetic ally in office is not enough to fully represent the cause as a whole. 

Aside from Milk’s initial appeal to the logic of the audience, Milk speaks sympathetically and passionately, which builds emotional appeal with the audience. He begins to go into the struggles that the LGBT community faces and states that “gay people have been slandered nationwide. We've been tarred…” Harvey Milk uses his own experience as a gay man and becoming a succeful politician to demonsatrate, although one holds great struggles of their own, hope and perseverance pays off. His election to public office is a message to all marginalized groups that change and success are always possible. In the face of adversity, Milk is legitimized as he maintains his professional credibility while acting as a figurehead of the gay rights movement. 

Harvey Milk does not use various examples of advanced rhetoric in his speech, but rather uses this ideal opportunity to appeal to the audience's  pathos and logos in order to inspire hope in a community that faced adverse times. Throughout his speech, Harvery Milk points out and acknowledges the struggles to be faced, but makes the task for equality and rights of the LGBT community seem attainable.