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This was Mr. Milk's familiar opening line for his infamous stump speeches, his humorous nod to the 70's stereotype that homosexuals were not born into their sexual preference but were instead recruited into it. What he did instead for San Francisco's gay movement was to recruit thousands of people into an open-minded and accepting way of thinking about alternate lifestyles.
Milk moved into the Castro district of San Francisco in 1972. At that time, the now largest gay Mecca in the world was considered significant only as a place in which housing was considerably more affordable. He opened his camera shop on Castro Street. It was not long before he realized that those who held political sway were the merchant organizations and thus founded the Castro Valley Association (CVA). Through this organization, the gay community began to organize politically and to gather strength in numbers through labor unions and with certain political leaders. It took four elections before Milk was finally elected to the Board of Supervisors (City Council) in San Francisco. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay individual to be elected. With this incredible milestone in gay rights history came the first bill supporting Gay Civil Rights. Tragically, Milk's years of effort toward this noble cause were cut short after only 11 months in office. On November 27th, 1978, former City Supervisor Danny White avoided metal detectors by squeezing through a basement window and sneaking his way into San Francisco City Hall. This man had just resigned his seat on the board with the enactment of the Gay Civil Rights bill, which he had fervently opposed. On this day, Danny White assassinated both Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone.  Even more sadly, White was convicted of two counts of voluntary manslaughter, earning a sentence of only seven years and eight months for these heinous crimes. His defense? The now infamous "Twinkie Defense" held that Mr. White had consumed too much sugary junk food, cursing him with temporary insanity and leading him to commit these abhorrent crimes. He was paroled in seven years and committed suicide shortly after his release. It seems obvious that he could not bear the weight of his guilt.Milk knew that assassination was his potential fate. In a tape recorded interview for his political will he said, "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door." To memorialize this man's contributions on the 25th Anniversary of his assassination, New Yorker Video has released, The Times of Harvey Milk, the special DVD edition of this 1984 Academy Award winning movie for Best Documentary Feature. Harvey Milk's legacy also lives on through the Harvey Milk Institute, an institution dedicated to "the development and examination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer culture in the Bay Area and beyond." Founded in 1994, this community-based organization seeks to fulfill the goals that San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk set for himself and the community. To learn more, visit the website and view upcoming events and workshops at www.harveymilk.org. |
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| The Times of Harvey Milk - by Christine Watson | Top of the Guide |
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