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Look how far we’ve come, SCOTUS reviews gay marriage

Harvey Milk poses in front of his camera shop in San Francisco in 1977.

This weekend, despite my complete lack of desire to finish a movie night with tears, I watched the movie “Milk.” My girlfriend had never seen the movie, and with more and more states coming out as gay, it was only fitting to appreciate how far the LGBTQ* community has come.

The movie is based on Harvey Milk, America’s first openly gay man elected to a public office. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.

If you’re not familiar with your history, it wasn’t exactly a great time for the gay community. Police arrested, beat and stalked members of the gay community.

Gays were dragged out of bars, beaten in the streets and witch hunts for homosexual teachers and officials weren’t out of the ordinary. People lost jobs, families, everything, for being gay.

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It’s actually kind of terrifying.

Four months ago, Florida joined 36 other states and legalized same-sex marriage. Last week there was another victory: same-sex divorce, which apparently wasn’t a buy-one-get-one with the marriage thing.

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States will review same-sex marriage to determine if it is constitutional or not.

It seems like a no-brainer, that whole “all men are created equal” thing should kind of suggest that gays should have the same rights as heterosexuals. However, many heterosexuals aren’t exactly the most open-minded people.

Regardless of the outcome, whether same-sex marriage is legalized across the board and Alabama has a mental breakdown and secedes, or we continue moving state-by-state, it’s still a victory.

Just think: 37 years ago, Milk wouldn’t be able to comprehend having 37 states allow same-sex marriage. He wouldn’t believe you if you told him two men could walk down the street in the better half of the country and not be arrested or attacked.

Hell, he probably would be amazed I was writing about it.

Regardless of where this SCOTUS ruling takes us, it gives us hope. Change is coming. It’s only natural. It just takes some time.

Milk once said that the key to winning was “you gotta give them hope.” Win or lose, hope will carry on the fight.

You gotta give them hope.

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