Sean Penn Wins Best Actor for Milk

I was happy to see Sean Penn win the best actor award for his portrayal of Harvey Milk in the Movie milk. Hopefully, between his win and that of Dustin Lance Black some people who might not otherwise see the film will reconsider and see it. Better yet, if they do see the movie, perhaps it will make some of them rethink their attitudes towards LGBT Americans. I am also very grateful for Penn's remarks concerning gay rights as he accepted his Oscar. Interestingly, the Times of India gave more coverage to the anti-gay protesters mentioned by Penn than the LA Times:

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"I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support," Penn said as he accepted his golden statuette. "We've got to have equal rights for everyone." He dismissed a protest outside the glittering Hollywood ceremony by banner-waving opponents of gay marriage, which four months ago was overturned in California following a referendum. The demonstraters were "very sad in a way, because it's a demonstration of such emotional cowardice to be so afraid to be extending the same rights to a fellow man as you would want for yourself," Penn said after the ceremony.

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I do agree with Penn that someday the anti-gay elements in U.S. society will be viewed with the same disdain as the rabid segregationists of an earlier era. I sincerely hope that that day comes sooner as opposed to later. My congratulations to Sean Penn.

Sean Penn on Harvey Milk, His Death, and Proposition 8

Sean Penn is never one to mince his words. I do not always agree with his views, but his analysis of how things might have been different had Harvey Milk lived and the consequences of Proposition 8 are on target. I particularly agree with his manslaughter conviction comment since I cannot help but believe that somewhere in the USA one or more gays have taken their own lives in despair over the passage of Proposition 8 and the other anti-gay initiatives. Sadly, many of the "Christians" and Mormons who voted for these initiatives probably do not care one wit for the lives they destroy. Here are some highlights of Penn's comments:

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The actor, never known for being shy with his opinions, spoke sharply even through a cold during a New York press conference last week, saying that Harvey Milk’s premature death likely caused the death of millions more.

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“I think less people would have died of AIDS [if Harvey Milk had not been assassinated],” Penn said. “ I think Ronald Reagan would have been forced to address it. [Milk] was a leader, and he happened to be focused on the gay movement. He would have advanced that argument a lot sooner. I think people are dead because he died too soon.”

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Penn also had some strong words for California voters who supported the recent Proposition 8. “If we could have no excuse for being ignorant in human history, then the punishment for support of Proposition 8 would be minimally manslaughter. There will be teenage boys who will hang themselves [because of this].”