Born; May 22, 1930
Woodmere New York
Died; November 27, 1978 (age of 48)
San Francisco, California
An American and civil rights activist.
San Francisco city politician.
Harvey Milk helped to open the door for gays and lesbians in the United States by championing civil rights for homosexuals. Since Milk's murder in 1978, he has remained a symbol of activism; however, Milk was not a one – issue politician.
During his tragically short political career Milk battled for a wide range of social changes in such areas as education, public transportation, child care, and low- income housing
Milk's agenda
Several key themes characterized Milk's successful campaign as well as his short career as city official. One was his demand that government respond to the needs of individuals. Another was his ongoing emphasis on Gay rights. A third was the fight to preserve the unique character of the city's neighborhoods
As city supervisor, Milk was the driving force behind the passage of Gay – rights law that prohibited discrimination, or unequal treatment in housing and employment based on sexual orientation. At his urging, the city announced a drive to hire more gay and lesbian police officers. He also started programs that benefited minorities, workers and the elderly. Milk then gained national attention for his role in defeating a state senate proposal that would have prohibited gays and lesbian from teaching in public schools in California
Milk's Death
Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated on Nov 27, 1978 by Dan White, another city supervisor(milk's former friend) that resigned and wanted his job back.
"White was convicted only of voluntary manslaughter, meaning he would receive the lightest sentence possible for a person who had admitted to intentionally killing someone. He served five years in prison before being paroled. On October 21, 1985, White committed suicide."
"The outcome outraged homosexuals and their supporters across the United States. In San Francisco, riots erupted, resulting in hundreds of injuries, a dozen burned police cars, and about $250,000 in property damage. The following night, thousands of people flocked to Castro Street to celebrate what would have been Milk's forty-ninth birthday."
In 2002, Milk was called "the most famous and most significantly open LGBT official ever elected in the United States".
Dianne Feinstein recalls the day Harvey Milk died:
Feinstein, who has possession of White's diary, said his writings revealed a troubled man.
"It does show somebody who has a psychopathology, probably as a true manic-depressive in a clinical sense," she said.
"I saw him come in. I said, 'Dan, can I talk to you?' And he went by, and I heard the door close, and I heard the shots and smelled the cordite, and I came out of my office. Dan went right by me. Nobody was around, every door was closed.
"I went down the hall. I opened the wrong door. I opened (Milk's) door. I found Harvey on his stomach. I tried to get a pulse and put my finger through a bullet hole. He was clearly dead. I remember it, actually, as if it was yesterday. And it was one of the hardest moments, if not the hardest moment, of my life,"
Feinstein said. "It was a devastating moment. For San Francisco, it was a day of infamy."
Harvey milk quotes
"If a bullet should go through my head let that bullet go through every closed door" (ironey, that he was killed the same way)
"All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential"
