"Taxi Ride" and the Gay Rights Movement
In Taxi Ride, Scarlet learns of the death of a gay friend of hers. She visits his former house in Baton Rouge, where she realizes that he is just another dead fag (Amos) to any homophobe that learns of his death. This inspires her to begin to ponder the gay rights movement.
The gay community sees June 28, 1969 as the start of the Gay Rights Movement. On this day, there was a street clash between police and the homosexual clientele of an unlicensed New York City bar, the Stonewall Inn (Henry III 54).
This event inspired a social revolution that is still changing the way Americans see many of their most basic institutions -- family, church, schools, the military, media and culture, among them (Henry III 54). It also led to the creation of The Gay Liberation Front. This was a freeform collective that aligned itself with the leftist movements of the time (Gallagher 9).
Like the Native Americans and a great many minorities, gays, lesbians, and transgendered people have had to suffer immense persecution by American society. They have been pushed aside for centuries, dismissed as deviant or perverted or simply beneath mention (Henry III 54).
However, there are many rights that gays are still struggling for that other minority groups have had for years. For example, gays and lesbians cannot marry whomever they chose. Vermont is the only state that allows for civil unions. Obviously, there is a long way for gays to go to achieve a status of human, as opposed to sub-human, which they have been viewed as for centuries.
Scarlet will not forget the riots at the Stonewall Inn. She will fight the fight for equal rights for gays for not only her deceased friend, but for herself. She wants to see all minorities at a state of equality, no matter their race, ethnicity, or sexuality.
Most of all, she will not let a homophobe tell her that her deceased friend is just another dead fag, thats all (Amos). He was, and is, so much more to her and the people that loved him. Fortunately, nothing can take that away from her. He is in her heart, and though his light can no longer be seen, she can feel him with every step she takes.
An interesting element to this song is its upbeat tempo and some of its catchy hooks. The songs subject matter would seem to call for the opposite. However, one can hear the longing and the sadness in Amos voice. Furthermore, there is a loneliness to the background vocals at the very beginning of the song and during the refrain. Scarlet is remembering her friend, and though she has a heavy heart, she remembers him with love, and is glad that somehow, somewhere, hes on her side still (Amos).
The gay community sees June 28, 1969 as the start of the Gay Rights Movement. On this day, there was a street clash between police and the homosexual clientele of an unlicensed New York City bar, the Stonewall Inn (Henry III 54).
This event inspired a social revolution that is still changing the way Americans see many of their most basic institutions -- family, church, schools, the military, media and culture, among them (Henry III 54). It also led to the creation of The Gay Liberation Front. This was a freeform collective that aligned itself with the leftist movements of the time (Gallagher 9).
Like the Native Americans and a great many minorities, gays, lesbians, and transgendered people have had to suffer immense persecution by American society. They have been pushed aside for centuries, dismissed as deviant or perverted or simply beneath mention (Henry III 54).
However, there are many rights that gays are still struggling for that other minority groups have had for years. For example, gays and lesbians cannot marry whomever they chose. Vermont is the only state that allows for civil unions. Obviously, there is a long way for gays to go to achieve a status of human, as opposed to sub-human, which they have been viewed as for centuries.
Scarlet will not forget the riots at the Stonewall Inn. She will fight the fight for equal rights for gays for not only her deceased friend, but for herself. She wants to see all minorities at a state of equality, no matter their race, ethnicity, or sexuality.
Most of all, she will not let a homophobe tell her that her deceased friend is just another dead fag, thats all (Amos). He was, and is, so much more to her and the people that loved him. Fortunately, nothing can take that away from her. He is in her heart, and though his light can no longer be seen, she can feel him with every step she takes.
An interesting element to this song is its upbeat tempo and some of its catchy hooks. The songs subject matter would seem to call for the opposite. However, one can hear the longing and the sadness in Amos voice. Furthermore, there is a loneliness to the background vocals at the very beginning of the song and during the refrain. Scarlet is remembering her friend, and though she has a heavy heart, she remembers him with love, and is glad that somehow, somewhere, hes on her side still (Amos).
