This Harvey Milk Day, I think Harvey would be proud of our progress so far, but I’m absolutely sure he wouldn’t be satisfied by it. He faced a bullet. We have only to face down our own fears, come out and speak up.
Ironically, yesterday marked another anniversary related to the great Harvey Milk. 30 years ago, on May 21, 1979, the outrageous verdict in Dan White's trial for the murders of Milk and Mayor George Moscone was handed down. This resulted in the White Night Riots, in which the gay citizens of San Francisco, and some of their straight allies, gathered in protest. As their anger and frustration and loss boiled over, they chanted "Harvey dies, Dan White lies," and a riot began at the Civic Center and City Hall. For many in the country, it was the first time they saw LGBT people literally fighting back against an oppressive system.
The San Francisco police retaliated that same night by covering up their badge numbers and attacking the Elephant Walk bar in the Castro district.
The Bay Area Reporter had a really good article on the anniversary of the riots, which some consider to be San Francisco's own version of the Stonewall Riots.
Dan White robbed us of an important voice just when LGBT people needed it the most. This one man may have made a great deal of difference in fighting against the Government's complete lack of action in the early year's of the AIDS crisis and, perhaps even more importantly, in changing the ingrained attitudes of the gay community itself more quickly when it came to protecting ourselves against the disease.
It wasn't that long ago that the name Harvey Milk was, for me, someone I knew of only vaguely as a gay politician from the past who had been assassinated. Over the last few years, as I've read so much more about Harvey and his era, I've come to appreciate all that he stood for and how much he accomplished, and I know that many others have as well thanks to the recent film.
He was truly a hero. Happy Birthday, Harvey.
The San Francisco police retaliated that same night by covering up their badge numbers and attacking the Elephant Walk bar in the Castro district.
The Bay Area Reporter had a really good article on the anniversary of the riots, which some consider to be San Francisco's own version of the Stonewall Riots.
Dan White robbed us of an important voice just when LGBT people needed it the most. This one man may have made a great deal of difference in fighting against the Government's complete lack of action in the early year's of the AIDS crisis and, perhaps even more importantly, in changing the ingrained attitudes of the gay community itself more quickly when it came to protecting ourselves against the disease.
It wasn't that long ago that the name Harvey Milk was, for me, someone I knew of only vaguely as a gay politician from the past who had been assassinated. Over the last few years, as I've read so much more about Harvey and his era, I've come to appreciate all that he stood for and how much he accomplished, and I know that many others have as well thanks to the recent film.
He was truly a hero. Happy Birthday, Harvey.
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