The life and legacy of Harvey Milk

Today we honor the life and legacy of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician in California and a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Milk was not only an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, but for anyone who belonged to a minority group. He believed in safe, strong neighborhoods and supported public education, affordable childcare, and equal rights for all. In fact, Time magazine included Milk on a list titled “The 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.”

Harvey Milk at Gay Pride San Jose, June 1978. Image credit: CC BY-SA 4.0

Affectionately known as the “Mayor of Castro”, Milk became one of the first openly gay men to be elected to public office in the United States. After several failed attempts, Milk finally won a seat on the San Francisco City-County Board in 1977 as city supervisor.

While his campaign fought for gay rights and freedoms, he also incorporated child care, housing, and a civilian police review board into his platform. However, Milk's life was tragically cut short in 1978 by a political rival who opposed Milk’s liberal views.

A political opponent and former city board member shot and killed Milk on November 27, 1978. Dan White was Vietnam veteran and a former police officer who was fiercely conservative and believed Milk and the liberal Mayor Moscone were destroying traditional values in the city. After resigning, White asked Moscone to be allowed back on the board, but Moscone refused, having been convinced by Milk to find a more liberal candidate. White returned to city hall and murdered the mayor in his office before walking down the hall and murdering Milk.

During his trial, White’s lawyers claimed he was out of his mind because he had abandoned a healthy diet and was subsisting on sugary snacks and drinks. In a surprising move, the jury only convicted White of voluntary manslaughter sentencing him to only six years in prison. Because of this verdict, the peaceful riots outside city hall turned violent. More than 5,000 police raided gay nightclubs, injuring 124 people.

Milk’s contributions to the cause of equality for all people has been recognized in a number of ways, including the issuance of a stamp with his picture on it, the posthumous awarding of the Medal of Freedom, and the creation of a holiday in his memory.

Harvey Milk Day was officially established as a holiday in 2009 when Arnold Schwarzenegger, then governor of California, signed it into law. Although Milk died, his work continues today through the work of the Milk Foundation, founded by his nephew Stuart Milk, in honor of his uncle.

Milk’s legacy has endured, and he is remembered as a gay hero and pioneer. As Milk quoted, “hope will never be silent.”