HOMO.SAY.WHAT

Homophobia didn’t just happen. Orchestrated campaigns by cultural institutions and public figures have systemically instilled anti-LGBTQ prejudice into American culture by shaping public opinion. In the 1960s, propaganda films warned parents of “predatory characters” at local parks under the guise of public service announcements. Anita Bryant’s Save Our Children campaign in the 70’s galvanized a coalition of conservative religious groups that spread the idea that sexual abnormalities would corrupt the nation and its children. The 80’s AIDS pandemic further exacerbated fears about homosexuality and “making fun” became a way to marginalize those who were different, which subsequently generated anger, fear, violence and even murder against targets deemed inferior. Although the LGBTQ+ community has witnessed progress since the passing of Marriage Equality and award-winning LGBTQ+ shows and films have been embraced, the psychic damage to gay people is deep and events like the tragedy that struck the Orlando PULSE night club remind us that hateful propaganda can sometimes lead to deadly outcomes.