In today’s society there are many pressing controversial topics, such as gay rights. The way these topics are argued varies, the author can use emotion, statistics, personal experience, morals, and many other things; however the author takes a gamble in effectiveness with each style used. In LZ Grandersons, “The Gay Agenda,” Granderson uses emotional appeal and personal experience to present his argument and this proves to be very successful in engaging a strong reaction from the reader. By taking the reader on his journey of realizing his sexuality, from the moment he realized he should come out, to finding his life partner, and realizing that there was a large issue in the way homosexuals were treated and thought about, Granderson created …show more content…
an emotional bond with the reader. Another compelling argument he makes is when he compares this mythical gay agenda to the U.S Constitution, something that his entire audience would have strong emotion toward. Granderson also uses a very tactical example throughout by making the gay people seem evil, allowing the reader to see how ridiculous the thought that people who just want happiness are evil and cruel human beings. Throughout his argument the reader is brought into Grandersons personal experience, a sense of understanding is brought about between author and reader. By starting out his speech with a moment of his teenage years, Granderson immediately creates a connection with the reader; a vision of their childhood.
He also bonds with his reader by sharing the vulnerable moment when he felt touched with the movie, “ I remember that scene like it was yesterday; I was 16, I was in tears, I was in the closet, and I’m looking at these two people, Ferris Bueller and some guy I’d never seen before, fighting for love.” (2:02) He relates the reader to his feelings by pulling in his emotion at the time. The reader can understand how this scene of the movie made him feel. The reader can also empathize with Granderson when he says the phrase that he was in the closest. The reader begins to understand he’s confused and has mixed emotions about his own identity, they can feel for the challenge he is facing at this time in his life. Each reader can relate to a time in their lives when they were a confused and emotional teenager. He then continues to tell the reader that he reached a –point in his life where he accepted who he was and he was happy. This is relatable because the reader has either had this moment, or is waiting to experience this. The relatable experience Granderson presents to the reader helps to compel the reader to feel for his argument. Although he comes forth with his true identity and allows himself to be happy, his content is short-lived. Granderson soon realizes that society isn’t as accepting of his happiness, “In fact, I heard that there was a lot of hate and a lot of anger and a lot of frustration and a lot of fear about who I was in the gay lifestyle.” (2:30) The realization that Granderson comes across, is also very intriguing to thee reader. The reader becomes aware of the injustice that Granderson experiences by being robbed of a judgment free happiness. Not only does this allow the reader to relate but this creates empathy for Granderson from the reader. The previously built bond sends the reader in a
direction to not only understand but be angered by the treatment that Granderson receives. Granderson then goes on to put this idea of a mythical gay agenda into a metaphor, one that is not only intriguing due to the circumstance but because each reader would have personal feeling towards this metaphor. “The U.S. Constitution is the gay agenda. These gays, people like me, want to be treated like full citizens and it’s all written down in plain sight.” This statement is such a deeply compelling argument to present his readers with, this makes it apparent that the constitution, something the reader holds so highly in importance, is just the thing that Granderson wants. He wants freedom to be happy and live the way he wishes, just like every early American that supported the Constitution. This makes the reader connect something that they would already jump to defend, to what he is fighting for; creating a strong feeling for everything that Granderson has said up until this point. He plays on the readers deep emotions, making them realize that something Americans fought so hard for is all Granderson is trying to achieve, and this makes the reader agree and want to fight for with his cause. Another way Granderson appeals to the reader is by using the examples that the gays are referred to by society. He makes the reader aware of how ludicrous the way gays are thought of truly is, he makes his audience see the situation through his eyes. He does this by first defining what it means to be gay, “Anyone in love out there? You might be gay. Because I, too, am in love, and apparently that’s part of the gay lifestyle I warned you about.”(6:27) Automatically opening the reader’s eyes to the fact that gay love is the same as every other love, He again connects the reader to his personal experience, hitting on the fact that they too are in love and just want the freedom of happiness. He wants the reader to be aware that .this idea that gays are evil is complete nonsense. He again shows the misrepresentation when he states, “its really scary, this gay lifestyle thing; its super-duper evil and there’s no end to it! It goes and goes and engulfs!”(7:00) The reader picks up on Grandersons sarcasm and can throw out from their mind the idea of the gays being some evil human being. The reader can make their own opinion because Granderson has offered a personal view on the life of a gay person, showing the reader that there’s no difference between the life of a straight person and that of a gay or bisexual. The reader then comes to the revelation that gays are ordinary people, allowing them to be completely in agreement with Grandersons argument. In Grandersons argument on the world wide and often heated controversy of gay rights, he uses his own person al experience, and his own emotions to convince the reader oh his view. This approach unravels to be a strong and compelling argument that the reader can find relatable and easy to empathize with. His use of his personal involvement with gays, his metaphor to a strong American symbol, and finally his satiric explanation of the evil gays, pulls in the reader to not only agree with his argument but want to defend it, resulting in a very successful argument from Granderson.
...the narrator and all people a way of finding meaning in their pains and joys. The two brothers again can live in brotherhood and harmony.
In Vicki L. Eaklor’s Queer America, the experiences of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people in the years since the 1970s gay liberation movement are described as a time of transformation and growth. The antigay movement, threatened, now more than ever, created numerous challenges and obstacles that are still prevalent today. Many of the important changes made associated with the movement were introduced through queer and queer allied individuals and groups involved in politics. Small victories such as the revision of the anti discrimination statement to include “sexual orientation”, new propositions regarding the Equal Rights Amendment and legalized abortion, were met in turn with growing animosity and resistance from individuals and groups opposed to liberal and
critical thinking and argument, with readings. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Stoddard, T. B. & Co. (2005). The 'Standard' of the 'St Gay marriages: should they be legalized? In Barnet S., & Bedau H. (Eds.)
Society has grown to accept and be more opened to a variety of new or previously shunned cultural repulsions. Lesbians, transgenders, and gays for example were recognized as shameful mistakes in society. In the story Giovanni 's Room, the author James Baldwin explores the hardships of gays in the 1960. The book provides reasons why it is difficult for men to identify themselves as homosexuals. This is shown through the internalized voice of authority, the lack of assigned roles for homosexuals in society and the consequences entailed for the opposite gender.
homosexual liberation. Some have demonstrated their anger and concerns about prejudice against homosexuals in both riots and artistic forms. Therefore, these people seek to prove to the heterosexual world that homosexual ‘deviancy’ was a myth.
the beginning the text has an exciting tone since the authors describe the overwhelming emotions of individuals as well as the celebrations that took place after the law allowing same sex marriage was approved. By starting the article in this manner the writers are trying to provoke feelings of excitement from their readers in order to make them think that this event is a positive aspect of our society. Also, by mentioning the gay movement’s multiple efforts over the past “forty-two years to ensure the marital as well as civil rights of homosexuals” (Virtanen, Hill, and Zraick 1), the writers motivate their audience to be sympathetic towards these individuals. Moreover, the authors try to make people become more suppo...
“The story employs a dramatic point of view that emphasizes the fragility of human relationships. It shows understanding and agreemen...
David Wojnarowicz’s 1990 “One day this kid…” piece uses the pathos of a kid done harm in an attempt to get the audience to take a hard look at how their and others actions effect homosexuals, and whether its warranted. The artist goes through a long list of trials and tribulations that effect homosexuals, and then uses the picture of a kid to put it in the context of not just supposed problems a gay person could encounter, but of wrongs done to this kid specifically. This is then reinforced when David gets to the second column where he addresses specific responses his opposition might think of such as laws, repression, which he phrases as being forcibly silenced and evokes thoughts of unhealthiness, or psychology in all of the horror its practice
He points out the fourteenth amendment which clearly states that there should be no laws that alter the rights of any citizens. Granderson explains that he presented this version of the “gay agenda” to show that members of the LGBT community are not asking for new rights, they only want equal rights like everyone else. He states that the reason he made the majority of his speech funny is so his audience would not feel threatened by the severity of this topic. Granderson talks about how his son is a respectful young man. He says his son does very well in school, is a budding track star, and pray every night before eating his dinner. Granderson says that he would like to think that since his son lives him for the majority of the time, he would like to think that some of it could be attributed to him. Then points out the fact that even if he wanted to, there are some states where he cannot adopt a child due to the fact he is gay. The audiences faces look somewhat painstaking at this point because they are realizing how big of a problem this
Along with ethos and small touch of logos, the author Roxane Gay uses a strength appeal of pathos to persuade her audience onto her argument. “White people will never know the dangers of being black in America, systemic, unequal opportunity, racial profiling, and the constant threat of police violence. Men will never know the dangers of being a woman in America, harassment, sexual violence, legislated bodies. Heterosexuals will never know what it means to experience homophobia.” (Gay). In this paragraph, the author is identify the inequality between racial barriers, genders and sexual orientation which an emotionally involved topic to bring up. How people are treated differently how the way they look, where they come from. Woman would
As the political consultant for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community (LGBT), my duties are to push for the basic rights of the individuals who do, or cannot (in fear), identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. As the nation stands right now, being attracted to someone of the opposite sex is considered unnatural, unethical, and a choice to exist against God. However, the foundation that this nation was built upon was created centuries ago, and to be unwilling to change in time would be an inaccurate interpretation of the Constitution. My goals are to address the changes in time, and advance the civil rights that human beings deserve. I will discuss non-violent direct actions that can raise awareness, political actions that can create a strong voice for the community, and use of the court system to give the rights that the LGBT community deserves.
It is apparent that Scott Bidstrup is trying to persuade his audience to agree with his ideas. He relates to the topic being a homosexual himself, and uses his own beliefs and concerns to argue why same-sex marriage should be legal, along with factual information. Using his own personal experiences and feelings on the issue, he debates why he believes people ...
An issue that has, in recent years, begun to increase in arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seems that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the closet has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception.
Bawer, Bruce. A Place at the Table: The Gay Individual in American Society. New York: Poseidon, 1993. Print.
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the 1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.