United States
•
6 views
Harvey Milk
Woodmere, Long Island, New York, United States
Archival Overview
American politician and human rights icon who was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, defeating the anti-gay Briggs Initiative before being assassinated in San Francisco City Hall.
Biographical Record
Harvey Bernard Milk (1930 – 1978) was an American politician and visionary civil rights leader who galvanized the modern LGBTQ+ movement. Moving to San Francisco in 1972, Milk opened a camera shop on Castro Street, transforming the neighborhood into a vibrant civic sanctuary and earning the title 'The Mayor of Castro Street'.
Elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, Milk became one of the first openly gay persons elected to public office in North America. In office, he passed the city's first comprehensive gay rights ordinance and led the victorious statewide campaign to defeat Proposition 6 (the Briggs Initiative), which sought to fire all gay teachers in California public schools. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were shot and killed in City Hall by former supervisor Dan White. Milk's tape-recorded political testament urged LGBTQ+ youth to have hope and come out of the closet.
Key Life Milestones
Historic Election to Board of Supervisors
Elected as San Francisco's first openly gay supervisor, proving that LGBTQ+ candidates could build winning multi-ethnic coalitions.
Defeating Proposition 6 (The Briggs Initiative)
Led the grassroots campaign that decisively defeated the ballot measure seeking to ban openly gay teachers from public schools.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
0 messages recordedLeave a Respectful Tribute
Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialSan Francisco City Hall, California, United States