Introduction
A slogan selected for this paper is focused on human rights equality. This topic is chosen because it addresses the main issue faced by the discriminated population, gay individuals in particular. “Stop the Hate” is a phrase used by the HRC to make the members of the LGBT community stand their ground and to encourage the rest of the population to treat them positively. This slogan reveals the organization’s ideas clearly and turns out to be rather effective, as it reaches its purpose due to the proper construction and utilization.
Main body
The slogan “Stop the Hate” was developed as a reaction to the deadly attack at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. It was a premeditated hate crime that took the lives of 49 people. The majority of the victims were very young. The club catered to the LGBT community, which made it a target for the perpetrator. The severity of the crime and the high number of victims brought a new wave of discussion to the issues of inequality and hate that LGBT people face in their daily lives. Besides, the issue of insufficient gun control became crucial to the discussion. The perpetrator was able to kill so many people in mere moments, which made it impossible to stop him in time. Due to recent events, the discussion around this issue grew exponentially, but it can be said that the Pulse club attack was one of the more significant tragedies that brought attention to gun control.
The LGBT slogan developed by the Human Rights Campaign was meant to make gay people realize that they should not be afraid of using direct action to protect themselves. In the 1960s, American society was made to think that it is not normal to be not like others. All people had to have the same characteristics that appealed to the government. As a result, those individuals who differed from the majority were often treated as hatred and limited in their rights. However, human rights activists were able to unite to say that they are people and deserve the same treatment as anyone considered “normal” by the government. With this slogan, the HRC is making a call for people of the LGBT community to unite to protect themselves once more. The Pulse club shooting was a tragic event, and it showed that hate is still a threat to LGBT people’s wellbeing.
The meaning of the slogan seems to be clear, as it states that hate needs to be stopped, but there is also some additional idea in it that is often overlooked. Human Rights Campaign emphasized the fact that hate can be stopped not only externally, but also internally. People are capable of resolving their hateful feelings without outside pressure, and it needs to happen more often. The activists wanted all people to realize that they are free to be diverse because they remain human beings whose deeds define if they are good or bad but not their characteristics, such as the identification of those people they love. In addition to that, this slogan asks others to join in the protest because when internal solutions fail, it is up to other people to “Stop the Hate.” LGBT people would likely support this slogan. Being the representatives of a sexual minority, they tend to be more united than others and more likely to assist those who are in need because they understand how it is to be deprived of something. However, it also invites heterosexuals to join the movement.
By saying “Stop the Hate,” HRC wanted to appeal to different populations. First of all, it was targeted at the LGBT individuals who were threatened by such attacks. The authors wanted homosexuals to stand up and show that they are concerned about this situation, making America react with legislation. The rest of the population was encouraged to change their perception of gay individuals with the help of this slogan. Even though people who act based on their hatred were not expected to alter their position significantly, those who stood neuter were believed to develop a more positive image of homosexuals. Finally, this slogan was targeted at politicians. The authors wanted the whole country to recognize the LGBT community and its rights that is why he had to persuade American leaders to develop required changes.
The slogan developed by HRC can be considered effective due to its characteristics and influence on the population:
- This slogan is easy to remember because it consists of three words that are united into a sentence. In this way, people who saw or heard it only once could easily recollect it and share it with others, which affected the spread of the author’s message positively. The slogan is focused and clear, so people do not misinterpret it or face issues associated with its understanding.
- HRC’s slogan represents a specific idea that can hardly be perceived in the wrong way or mixed with an opposite phrase that sounds like. Thus, the target population is expected to be affected greatly.
- The slogan reveals the vision of its authors and their values. It allows others to understand HRC’s position regarding the LGBT population.
- Sympathy with the public is developed due to HRC’s slogan, as the author managed to support the LGBT movement and made its members focus on the same message even when developing new slogans.
- “Stop the Hate,” was created with a clear purpose, which ensured its ability to reach the targeted population and affect it. It is an incentive, as it makes people consider the possibility of treating gay people in a particular way. Moreover, it was one of those elements that made the LGBT community believe in its powers and start a new movement with a desire to obtain freedom and equal rights.
- This slogan is differentiated gay individuals from the rest of Americans, showing that they are unique and their case is worth discussing.
- The slogan was literary well-developed as well because it included the repetition of a sound [t] throughout the sentence (the first and the last ones). In addition to that, all words used for the slogan were rather short and easy to pronounce.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that the slogan developed by HRC was rather effective and managed to meet its purpose successfully. First of all, it reached its target population even though it consisted of several groups of people. Secondly, it revealed the authors’ values, and encouraged individuals to alter their perception of gays, emphasizing that they are good. Finally, it made the representatives of the LGBT community stand their ground and fight for their rights instead of being afraid of possible future attacks.