Harvey Milk is by far my favorite figure of queer history. He fought for what he believed in and went where many were afraid to so that the LGBTQ+ folks of the future could have a better society to live in.
Harvey Milk became one of the first ever openly gay elected officials in the United States. He was elected as San Francisco city supervisor in 1977.
As supervisor, Milk worked to secure the rights of LGBTQ+ people as he could. Unfortunately, Milk was assassinated by former supervisor Dan White in 1978. Milk recorded tapes before his death, obviously knowing that he would be a target.
Every time I hear that tape, I am in awe of how sincere Milk was about fighting for his cause. I am so saddened, because not many people know about him or who he was. If queer history interests you, I urge you to delve into his history much more. I definitely recommend the movie “Milk” on Netflix that chronicles his time in San Francisco.
This coming spring break, I will be travelling to San Francisco to see in person where Harvey Milk walked and made so much change. I am so excited to be able to stand in front of the old Castro Camera shop he owned and just imagine what it was like back in his day.
“It’s not about personal gain, it’s not about ego, it’s not about power. It’s about giving those young people out there, in Altoona, Pennsylvanias hope. You gotta give them hope.” -Harvey Milk
Sources:
lavendereducation.school.blog 