Dustin Lance Black’s acceptance speech at the 2009 Oscar Awards for best original screenplay was nothing short of incredibly moving. He mentions moving from a conservative Mormon home to California where he learned the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in America. “It gave me the hope one day I could live my life openly as who I am and then maybe even I could even fall in love and one day get married,” he said, fighting back tears.
He goes on to say:
If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours.
Even the most religiously fundamentally people have to have found this beautiful, heartfelt and inspirational.
It was incredibly moving. But I’m sure there were plenty of gay-bashers damning him to hell after watching his speech.