If I am to describe the biographical movie, Milk, in one word, it would be: inspiring.
As I was watching the movie, it struck me that Harvey Milk was a man of conviction. He had an unshakable belief in the necessity for equal civil rights amongst various minority groups, be it the “gays, … blacks, … Asians, … disabled, … seniors” – what he called the “Us's”. A gay man, Harvey was rejected by mainstream conservative American society but instead of being filled with bitterness, he channelled that energy into something positive.
Harvey fought for what he believed by contesting to be a public official and did not give up although he was unsuccessful in his first two attempts. His life is also a reflection of unwavering hope: the very hope that he wanted others to have. After all, as he said, “I know that you can't live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living”. Harvey’s sense of purpose compelled me to think about why I am living and doing the things I do.
I walked out of the cinema wondering how I could be inspired by a film which celebrates a way of life that my religion is strongly against. I was at once sad and fired up. I understand the Christian slant that the supporters of Proposition 6 had in their campaign, but I cannot bring myself to agree or identify with them. How does one reconcile religious beliefs and non-heterosexuality?
Besides that, I would like to explore the tension between the civil rights of a nation’s people and the main religion of a particular country. Coming from a secular-but-Muslim country, I am horrified when the human rights of those who do not fit into the mould are stripped away blatantly. Yet, one cannot deny the existence of the “Us’s” who live in the shadows and the fringes of society.
“Forty years old and I haven't done a thing”, Harvey remarked on the eve of his fortieth birthday. But in a mere eight years, Harvey lived a legacy and left one as well.
Notes: 1. Milk. Dir. Gus Van Sant. Focus Features, 2008.
