Posted on 02/23/2009 6:10:17 AM PST by L.A.Justice
Gay rights took center stage at the Oscars ceremony when actor Sean Penn and the writer of the film "Milk" made impassioned pleas for opponents of same-sex marriage to rethink their stand.
Penn won the Academy's best actor award for his role as gay politician Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay man to be elected to public office, who was shot and killed in 1978.
"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 demos 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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Dustin Lance Black, the writer of "Milk", who won the Academy Award for the best original screenplay also called for equal rights for gay Americans.
Addressing "gay and lesbian kids" watching the ceremony, Black said: "No matter what everyone tells you, God does love you ... very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours."
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Penn also called on President Barack Obama to modify his position against gay marriage, saying it was "inevitable ... because it's not a human luxury, these are human needs and they will be gotten."
(Excerpt) Read more at timesofindia.indiatimes.com ...
Penn probably ended up ruining many people's Oscar viewing experience...Up to that point, the show was OK...
Black, the screenwriter guy, wasn't as obnoxious as Penn...He didn't really attack gay marriage opponents. But, Penn...He felt a need to scold some viewers, who don't support gay marriage...
I don't dispute that Penn is a very competent actor. But, I don't like his arrogance...I find him obnoxious.
I am not sure if Obama really objects to gay marriage...
Can’t the gays just stick to the Tony Awards?
Can the brilliant Mr. Penn enumerate for us the rights that homosexuals don’t have?
If anything, they are beneficiaries of “affirmative action”, a form of reverse prejudice that gives them unfair advantage over those who are not queer.
Anyone notice how a great movie (Grand Torino) doesn’t even get a nomination for anything? Oh yeah, it had a conservative bent to it so, no soup for you!!
I disagree that the show was ok.
They had a comedy sketch that was disgusting, joking about Nazis having sex with little boys, they showed simulated sex and nudity and two grown men passionately kissing.
Then when they did the tribute to stars who have died in the past year the applause completely died out when they showed Charlton Heston on the screen. It resumed when they showed liberal stars who had died.
The dance and music parts of the show were a disgrace, multi cultural crapola.
Sean Penn did his usual kissing up politically but the man is so brain damaged that he had to take a piece of paper out of his pocket to read the names of people to thank.
Pathetic excuse for a human being, much less actor. He’s not worthy of being a pimple on Charlton Heston’s rear end.
I have been watching the Oscars since 1969 and this was the absolute WORST show I’ve ever seen. No exaggeration.
I didn't watch, I never do, simply because watching a bunch of narcissists patting each other on the back is something I find nauseating. But, I have to say, gay folks have the same exact marriage rights as I do. They can marry someone of the opposite sex if they'd like. I can't marry my dog, or another woman, or whatever. So, it's not like I have a right they don't.
Thanks, you made me glad I didn’t watch!
The “right” to have their relationships viewed as “normal” in our society.
They never will be, but that’s the “right” that they want, IMPOSED/FORCED on everyone.
I can see I didn’t miss much by completely ignoring the Oscars. We did laundry and watched an episode of Frasier.
Why do you people watch this crap?!
Gay rights took center stage at the Oscars ceremony when actor Sean Penn and the writer of the film “Milk” made impassioned pleas for opponents of same-sex marriage to rethink their stand.
Sorry dirtbag (Penn),but I feel no need to rethink morality, decency, common sense, etc.
It is you that should rethink your position because of the damage you do to society.
Maybe if Eastwood's character had been gay.
Clowns like Sean Penn see this as the next great civil rights crusade. In reality, there are no governmental restrictions/prohibitions on gays that are also not on every other American. In other words, gays get treated the same way (in the eyes of the law/government) as straight people do. There is unfortunately a sect of society that wants to do violence against gays. However, in the eyes of the law gays get more rights/priveledges in this situation. For instance, hate crimes. If my brother is murdered in cold blood, why is that less heinous than if a gay man gets murdered in cold blood.
What Sean Penn and others like him fail to see is the real civil rights crusade that is going on right underneath their noses. The fight for those that are not yet born. I would think that the fight for the approximately 50 million lives that have been aborted to be an important civil rights crusade he could go on.
Penn probably ended up ruining many people’s Oscar viewing experience...Up to that point, the show was OK...
You actually wasted a time period of your life and watched the Oscar’s?
How sad for you.
Expect the calls for a Harvey Milk Federal Holiday to begin in earnest.
Correct. What if I want to marry additional women? Why is my “right” to marry whomever I choose being abridged?? If I can afford to do this, and no one is hurt, then why can’t I do this??
Or, can’t I be a polygamist because it is morally wrong? Says who?
We, as a society, have a right to draw moral distinctions. The practice of homosexuality is wrong, and everyone knows it.
“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,”
My kids and grandkids are proud of me thank you very much Mr. Penn. You were right about one thing, you were in a room filled with your fellow commies.
You, who live in a nice gated community sheltered from the real world you Jerk!!
I think Penn’s acting abilities are over rated. If you’ve ever been around mentally handicapped individuals, you would have laughed at his portrayal of one in “I am Sam.” His acting in “Mystic River” was a textbook example of method acting. I doubt he would have won if he starred in similar movie depicting an assassinated heterosexual politician.
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