Trevor Schultz April 11, 2021 FHS 2450: Human Sexuality U6E1: Film Essay

Question:

Watch a film with a central message/theme that relates to something we have studied in this
course, then write an essay describing the course concepts and how they are illustrated by the
film. The film chosen was Milk and the concepts outlined in chapter 1 in our textbook.

Answer: Word Count: 524

Milk is a Hollywood film about Harvey Milk released in 2008 about the life and

assassination of Milk after his successful campaign to become the United State’s first openly

gay elected official. He also served as the first gay elected offical of California, where he was

elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. From his early years to his final days in

office, Gus Van Sant expertly directs the depiction of the life of a legendary gay rights’ advocate

and pioneer. This film also pairs with our course textbook to help students understand the

course outcomes and goals which include understanding substantive knowledge of sexual

orientation, communicating ideas regarding sexual orientation, exercising quantitative literacy,

engaging in critical thinking, and promoting civic engagement.

Milk is a film that exhibits the gay struggle of Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn) in a

very realistic way. There are experiences that Van Sant depicted in this film that I have

personally experienced myself. For example, when Milk and his partner open Casto Camera in

San Francisco’s Castro District, they are met with homophobic remarks and threats from a

neighboring business owner. Prejudice towards minority groups is still present and being able to

identify it is crucial. Harvey is also faced with situations in which he is required to face gay

stereotypes put on him by other people, most notably his colleague Dan White. This film also

introduces us to a myriad of sexualities and identities as a few of Milk’s friends and campaign

staffers are lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc. This information would be helpful to the average

viewer in understanding perspectives of oppressed sexualties. I believe this film is a thorough

and accurate depiction of the community, the most you can do for a film.
Trevor Schultz April 11, 2021 FHS 2450: Human Sexuality U6E1: Film Essay

A theme of this film is that gay people are the same as straight people and want the

same things: happiness, rights, freedoms, and abilities. Through Milk’s life, we understand that

his sexuality does not impair him from duty nor does it make him a different person from the rest

of normative society. “Human sexuality is a multifaceted concept. No one definition can capture

its complexity.” (Knox & Milstein, 2017, p. 6) By depicting that Harvey Milk could become an

elected political official as an openly gay man, it provokes critical thought and gives hard

evidence to the competence of gay people with straight people. There is no disability in being

gay and there is no illness.

Advocacy towards equal rights and active involvement within the community is also

stressed and suggested in this film. There are not only rallies for his political campaigns, but

when Harvey is assassinated and laid to rest, the streets of San Francisco are filled with people

who supported him and what he represented. They march through the city and show the world

that queer people do exist and that their voices are loud. This was a very powerful moment in

the film for me. This entire movie is a progression of his life and how he advocated for his own

people, an important sentiment that I believe Van Sant wanted to leave with his viewers to

continue.

References:

Milstein, S., & Knox, D. (2017). Human Sexuality: Making Informed Decisions 5th ed.). BVT

Publishing.