Ethos of the "Come Out!" Newspaper

Roslyn Bramms, Editor

The ComeOut! newspaper was first published on November 14, 1969 by a group of pro-gay activists, led by Roslyn Bramms, who was previously managing editor of Screw, a pornographic magazine for heterosexual men. The staff also included John Lauritsen, who later founded the Pagan Press, and Wiccan activist Leo Martello. It was the first publication associated with the Gay Liberation (post-Stonewall gay rights) movement, and after generating interest with its first issue, was taken over by the Gay Liberation Front, against the will of its staff, and left to flounder.
The paper's goal of convincing people to be public about their sexuality was most affective with a demographic already willing to go against the expectations of their community. The diverse amature staff created a counterculture appeal that lent itself well to this goal. This can also account for the paper's later failure under the direction of the Gay Liberation Front, which brought a more organized, less relatable tone to the publication.

Logos Behind the Lens of the Stonewall Demonstrators

The Stonewall Riot demonstration photograph includes an appeal to logic in some aspects. At first glance the flag in the picture appears to suggest a pathetic appeal to Americans’ patriotism. Upon further inspection, however, the audience would realize that the flag is being flown upside down. The law declares that this should only be done in times of distress or imminent danger. This suggests that the photographer had a reason for capturing the flag being flown in this way. When analyzed through the law, it would seem that the photograph logically implies these demonstrator’s distress over the state of gay people in America in the 1960s. This use of logic works to connect the audience with the real facts about the plight of gay Americans at that time. The distress that gay Americans were in was reflected through the photograph’s use of the word “oppression”. The nation at that time was still harshly anti-gay, and so this photographer is trying to rile support from his audience by capturing a call to end this oppression; to end the distress, shown by the upside down flag.

Logos of “Come Out!”

Most propaganda directed towards the gay community has a certain pathetic appeal about it. It is necessary to pull at the heartstrings in some instances in order to maximize the effect texts have on say mothers or family members, anyone who can lend an empathetic hand to the gay rights’ cause. That is not to say, however, that these pieces of rhetoric do not posses any logical appeal as well. The article in “Come Out!” used logic in order to persuade members of the gay community to come out in support of gay rights. The author of this cover article appeals to the logos of the audience by building an argument through reason. He started off his argument by telling the audience that “In New York a homosexual is legitimate as an individual but illegitimate as a participant in a homosexual act”. In doing this the author made it apparent that there is a factual basis behind the plight of gay people; discrimination against the gay community is, in fact, a problem in the real world, not just something dramatized in the media. In the next step of this argument, the author presented a feasible solution to the problem, in that “Come Out!” aimed to gather oppressed peoples into a “cohesive body of people who [did] not find the enemy in each other”. The usage of this argument was purely to appeal to the audience’s logic as it was a simple problem-solution presentation. It is interesting to note that there are statistics to back up the idea that a supportive group of gay people could help the gay community overall. There are reasons why the suicide rate among the LGBT community is so high, and was so in the 1960s as well. Research suggests that intense feelings of homophobia that LGBT members experience cause incredible stress on these individuals, potentially harming their mental stability. A supportive group to stand behind someone in this community is possibly enough to offer some form of stability back into their lives. In order to see this logical appeal, however, much of the pathetic appeal needs to be stripped away. 

Presentation of Fink's Demonstration Photo

The two primary subjects in Fink's photo are the Stonewall banner and the man carrying the American flag. The high contrast of the banner makes it stand out and immediately provide context to the viewer. The large "STONEWALL MEANS FIGHT BACK! SMASH GAY OPPRESSION!" makes it clear what is going on in the scene. As mentioned in the analysis of the ethos in the photo, Fink's goal is to provide insight into the lives of the protestors and the flag bearer in this photo is the mechanism which he uses to deliver it. The man embodies pride, and captures part of the spirit of the movement that Fink is trying to portray.

The film grain visible in the photograph also contributes to its rhetoric. While in 1970, film technology was far from perfect, professional photographers used more expensive tools that avoided gave better results. The lower visual fidelity of the photograph gives it the appearance of an amature work, one created by someone from within the movement rather than someone looking in from outside.

Ethos of Leonard Fink's Demonstration Photo

Another example of Fink's work

Lenoard Fink was an amateur photographer who documented over 25 years of Gay Life in New York City. He lived a reclusive life, focusing on his art, which he never published. His collection was donated to a museum by his estate after he died from AIDS in 1993.
The photo of interest was taken at the 1970 Christopher Street Liberation parade, one year after the landmark Stonewall Riots, which arguably marked the start of the LGBT rights movement. Fink's only "agenda" in taking it, as well as in any of his other photos, was to capture the beauty he perceived in the lives of the gay community in NYC. While he supported the ideals of the demonstration he was capturing, his goal in taking the photo was not to promote those ideals, but to give insight into the lives of the demonstrators. This is in contrast to the Come Out ad, which has a clear and explicit agenda.

Pathos In The Newspaper Come Out!

In the 1960s, more and more people began coming out of the closet and were openly gay.  The newspaper, “Come Out” was published to give a voice to the rapidly growing gay community and to, “fight for the freedom of the homosexual.”  The newspaper used pathos to persuade their readers that it is okay to be gay and someone’s sexuality should not determine what rights they have.  The tone of the newspaper was humorous, yet serious.  The author made jokes to lighten the mood of the topic and raise the mood of the audience, yet still got their point across that “BEING HOMOSEXUAL SAYS ONLY ONE THING: EMOTIONALLY YOU PREFER YOUR OWN SEX.  IT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT YOUR WORTH, YOUR VALUE AS A HUMAN BEING.”  Like the protest posters, this newspaper used all caps throughout the article.  They tried to emphasize the important points and really grab the reader’s attention.  The capital letters also helped the readers feel what the writer felt, because it indicated where the author was most passionate.  The article also stated that gay people were coming out in a community

that numbers in the millions to inform readers that homosexuals were not alone and had emotional and physical support in numbers.  People reading this knew that they had people to relate to.  Finally, the article concludes with a series of questions, which caused readers to question their beliefs and how they really felt about gay rights.  This newspaper appeals to readers’ emotions and stresses that gay people are just as good as straight people and should not be treated any differently. 

Pathos at Stonewall Demonstration

In the 1960s, the Gay Rights movement took a big step forward beginning with the Stonewall Riots.  After this event, the gay community started to stand up for themselves and raise public awareness for the oppression they faced.  In the photograph, gay people were storming the streets to encourage one another to fight back and demand their rights.  The picture uses pathos to appeal to the emotion of its viewers.  The main focal point of the picture is a huge sign in all caps encouraging all people, especially gays to, “FIGHT BACK” and “SMASH GAY OPPRESSION.” The people in this demonstration wanted people to get mad and take a stand for their rights.  The protesters urged gay people to remember how they felt about the Stonewall Raid and the discrimination they faced and use that anger to fuel change.  The people at the demonstration carried the American flag upside down as a symbol of their opposition to the current system.  They are not anti-American; they simply oppose the way that they are treated rights they lack.  By marching in the street, they drew attention to their movement and caused a reaction from every bystander.  They gay community wanted people to take their side and help change the way they are treated, however, any reaction helped them.  When people are emotionally invested in an issue, it creates conversation and awareness.  By using pathos they gay community was able to raise more awareness to the unfair way they were treated and grow the Gay Rights Movement