Harvey Milk
Ah yes, Harvey Milk, the gay Martin Luther King jr. Born on this very same day in 1930, Milk grew up in Long Island, New York to a middle class, Jewish family. He did what a lot of kids did, he joined the football team, sang in the school Opera, and eventually joined the Navy. Milk knew he was gay ever since he was in high school but even so, he lived a rather normal life. That would all change, however, when Milk was 42 and he decided to pack up his bags on the east coast and head for the West.
In San Francisco, Milk opened Castro Camera on, of course, Castro Street. At first, the camera shop served its purpose of drawing in local customers but as Milk dove deeper and deeper into the gay community, he became more outspoken in Californian politics and his little shop transformed into a cornerstone of the community. Castro Camera became a stage Milk’s stage for local protests and rallies. Lesbians and gays came from all over the state and all over the country to be a part of Harvey Milk’s LGBT movement. The following year, Milk tried his first run at public office: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Harvey Milk lost the first election in 1973 for the Board of Supervisors and again in 1975. Through those two losses, Milk never gave up, not once. By the second election, Milk had become one of the biggest human rights advocates throughout the country and was known as the “mayor of Castro Street” in California. Between his years of campaigning, Milk continued to lash out, along with thousands of his supporters, against the discrimination of the gay community. Milk parades were readily prominent in the Castro District. Protesters sported signs reading “save our rights” and “save our children from hatred and bigotry” as they stomp the streets making their voices heard against violence and inequality that plagued their community. Those who were against Milk and his supporters tormented them and they “were often arrested, beaten by police, and accused of crimes due to the mere fact that they were openly homosexual.” Even so, protesters marched on and were kept enthusiastic and organized by none other than Harvey Milk.
In 1977, Milk gave the Board of Supervisors one last go and this time, he was successful. This made him the first gay, elected official in the city of San Francisco. He was sworn in on January 8th, 1978 and he wasted no time in overturning discriminatory laws against the LGBT community. This included destroying the Briggs Initiative, a state ballot that wanted to remove and ban every gay and lesbian teacher from teaching in Californian schools. To double ban the Initiative, Milk and his colleagues created the Gay Rights Ordinance shortly after he took office. This ordinance protected any gay or lesbian person from being fired from their job, whatever job that may be, because of their sexual orientation.
Soon after his term began, Milk started to receive hate mail and less than a year after he was elected, Harvey Milk was shot and killed by Dan White. Surprisingly enough, White wasn’t a crazed citizen but a former worker on the Board of Supervisors. He and Milk clashed on gay issues and it ended in White resigning. He blamed Milk for ruining his career and enabling pro- gay laws.
On a lighter note, today is Harvey Milk Day. The very fact that this day is on his birthday, not the day he died says to the world that what happens in death is not as nearly significant as what one does while they’re alive. On this day, we recognize the birth of someone who gave his life to a cause. More important than his efforts to create or destroy legislation in lieu of gay rights in America is the fact that his life and career itself paved the way to change. Harvey Milk is a symbol to every American, gay or straight, that says you must fight for what you believe in, no matter what that may be and no matter how long it may take. Milk was a small part in the fight for equality but he has taught us that change takes sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears. He has taught us that hate cannot be fought with hate, it must be fought with love. He has taught us to speak our minds even if our voices shake. He has taught us that progress does not come with violence. He has taught us that no matter what god you believe in, no matter the color of your skin, no matter the person that you love, we are all created equal and we should treat each other as such.
In his own words, “My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you.”
