What do you see in the photos? Who do you think they are and what do you think they are doing? When do you think the photos were taken?
A few years ago, a museum in Los Angeles appealed for help to identify people that were photographed in 1957. The photos show a wedding
between two men. There are photos of the men cutting a cake, exchanging rings,
opening gifts and dancing.
Why do you think the museum was interested in these wedding photos?
Where are the men getting married? Why are there only a few people, why isn't it in a church or a hall?
In 1957 being gay was illegal in the US and all over
the world. So the two men in these photos were breaking the law. Everyone else at the wedding was also breaking the law and could have been arrested if the police found out it was happening.
Why do you think being gay was illegal in 1957?
Why are things different today?
If the law says you can't get married, do you think the men are doing the wrong thing here?
Taking photos was very different in 1957.
How were photos different in 1957?
How would the two men have got these photos?
You couldn’t make photos
yourself in 1957; there were no phones. You had to take the photo on a camera and then take the film out of the camera
and send it to a photo shop. The shop would develop the photos for you, and you
would pick them up when they were ready about a week later. Each photo had to be developed
individually meaning the person in charge would see them.
What is the problem here for the two men in the photos?
What do you think happened to the photos?
The person in the shop who
developed these photos would not give them
back. The couple never saw their wedding photos.
How / why could the person in the shop do that?
Imagine how you would feel to never see your wedding photos..
Why didn't the two men complain, demanding the photos were returned?
What might the person in the shop be worried about if they were seen to develop the photos and give them back?
The photos sat in the store room at the back of the shop for 50 years and were forgotten. Los Angeles museum hoped by sharing the pictures they could return the wedding photos to the couple,
who will now be 80 or 90 years old.
We don't know if the men were found. Do you think it is likely?
It's interesting that the person at the shop kept the photos and didn't throw them away - can you come up with an explanation for this?
What do you see in this photo, taken last weekend in the UK?
Today things have changed for gay people compared to 60 years ago. Today many countries, including the UK have laws to protect LGBT people.
What is the law in the UK protecting LGBT+ people? (the equality act 2010)
Who else is protected in that law?
The photo shows Birmingham Pride which was held on bank holiday weekend. Today, Pride events are held every year in cities all over the world.
Why do so many cities hold Pride events today, what is Pride for?
Do you think Pride is needed?
If we showed the Birmingham Pride photo to the men at the wedding in 1957, what
would they think? How would you explain to the couple in 1957 what is happening in this
photo, why it is happening and how has life has changed for LGBT people in 60
years?
Today there is a huge Pride event in Los Angeles every year. Do you think the two men in the photo are on the parade today? How
do you think they feel about it?
Why is this about No Outsiders?
Which British value is this about?
To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every Friday, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org
No comments:
Post a Comment